Could Be More
by Crystalmoon101
Summary: Karmio Oneshots - He was the hero, while she was the face in the crowd. Yet she never realised how close her hero was. Could never guess it was her rival with black hair and large mind. Maybe one day, she'll see what she's missing.
1. Look Behind The Pages

**Been binging the Big Hero Six series and I love it. Sure, needs to be brushed up in some aspects, but I won't be mean since it is a kid show. If you didn't guess by the fanfiction synopsis, these stories are focused on Karmi and Hiro as a ship. This romance has become a bit of a topic in the fandom, so I'll simply say I like the ship but I don't mind if you disagree, just don't be rude about it, please.**

 **Also, I might be completely wrong in a lot of how I write these two, mostly Karmi. It based off certain headcanons I have, but the show might prove me wrong.**

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 **Characters:**  
 **Hiro X Karmi**

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 **Warning: Light swears, light violence**  
 **Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, sadly!**

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It was a typical day in San Fransokyo, and by that, I mean another crisis has arisen for Big Hero Six to come and fix. The day did start off normal for a certain young boy. Hiro had awoken early in the morning, roughly eight o'clock, lumbered out of bed to check on Baymax, given the poor bot ran out of battery last night, before heading down to greet his aunt and have breakfast with the gang. They were all planning to watch a ceremony at one of the local companies that were revealing a new invention.

Now, the team didn't often go to these kinds of events. They were satisfied with reading about it online. However, since their past problems involving tech being hijacked, stolen or destroyed, mostly thanks to Obake, they've been trying to keep a better eye on these kinds of open events, hoping to get a step ahead of sinister plans and keep the public safe.

Although they had gone early in the morning, the building and stage were already surrounded by the public, visitors and potential buyers. Wasabi and Honey had no trouble seeing from their position, while Gogo and Fred had decent views, but that left poor Hiro, only being 5'0 feet, unable to see anything once again. He mumbles to himself as he crossed his arms, just happy enough he could hear.

The owner of the company, if Hiro remembered correctly was a man named Tracy Copa, walked up to the edge of the stage, microphone in hand.

"Welcome to Copa Corp, I'm glad so many faces could make it today!" Tracy beamed, grinning unnaturally.

Hiro rolled his eyes to himself. He'd seen businessmen put up eager and grateful facades all the time, he could tell when one was genuine or comfortable with talking to so many people. He drowned out the man's voice for a minute, waiting for him to get to the point and reveal his new invention.

Hiro gazed around, making sure to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Like Yama hiding in the crowd or Obake's symbol popping up suddenly. His eyes did catch something, but something he wasn't expecting.

Karmi was among the crowd, easily sticking out with her bright orange skirt and canary yellow jumper. She looked just as bored as Hiro did, not even bothering to look at the stage, eyes glued to the ground with a thinking face. Hiro did spot a man and a woman standing with her, and their resemblance to Karmi made Hiro suspect they were her parents, or relatives at least. He figured they brought her along.

Somehow, Karmi senses someone looking at her and lifted her head, looking to the side and made eye contact with Hiro. Their eyes widen before they quickly looked away, not wanting to acknowledge each other. Karmi did glance back at him, curious. He was pulling an expression, pretending he didn't see her. Karmi lightly rolled her eyes, knowing he was faking it.

Hiro kept his gaze plastered forward until he heard Tracy finally talk about the new product. Lifting his head and standing on his toes, he tried to get a good look. Wasabi noticed this and moved to the side for him.

Tracy stepped back a little as his assistant pushed a large trolley carrying the creations. They were robots, of course, called the Octo Octo. Their design seemed to be based on that of an octopus, a round ball with long mechanical tentacles. Their primary function was housework, like dusting and vacuuming, especially in those hard to reach places, clean the dishes, hang the laundry and so on. But, Tracy also added, they could be used for security, able to wrap around the attacker or bugler, squeeze tight and shock them while sending out a signal to the police.

Hiro thought the designs were interesting, but they felt a bit too similar to the Buddy-Guards made by Keri, though more on the housemaid side of programming. He just hoped they took more time to put in fail safes and remove bugs, unlike Keri.

That's when the day changed from a typical day to a typical superhero day. The blue lights on the Octos sparked, switching to a bright red. The group were first to notice, as it was an all too familiar scene. Tracy and his assistant were next to notice, then the rest of the crowd. One of the Octos dived towards Tracy, who froze in panic. Luckily, his assistant tackled him out of the way, as the Octo flew past and into the crowd.

Everyone began to scream and run for it, but the panic and shock caused a lot of property damage and people tripping over each other. Kids crying as they were separated from their parents by mistake, or screaming civilians yelling at one another to get out of the way.

 _'Survival of the fittest apparently'_ Hiro mused in his head.

He quickly became serious and looks to the others. "I'm calling in the suits, but we need to find somewhere hidden…"

Gogo spoke. "Can use one of the alleys."

The made a dash for it, pushing past members in the crowd, the only few who aren't panicked. Hiro clicked two apps on his phone, one that brings the suits to their location, another to signal Baymax, having not brought him. Quickly slipping his phone back into his pocket, he dashed behind the others.

This should have played out the usual way. Get the suits, get the people to safety then get the insane robots. However, Hiro accidentally changed up the plan when he risked looking behind him. They were near the back of the fear-filled crowd, so he saw people who had been trapped by the Octos, some even wrapped up and suffering from their electric shocks. It didn't sit right with Hiro.

But because he wasn't looking forward, he didn't see the Octo moving in front of his path until it was too late. With a loud thud, Hiro smacked into it before stumbling back, nearly falling over. The Octo didn't seem phased, flicking out a tentacle to grab the boy. Yelping, Hiro rolled to the side, narrowly dodging it.

The team finally noticed their youngest member had fallen behind, being stalked by one of the rogue robots.

"Hiro!" Honey called out, ready to dash in to help.

Hiro heard her call and flicked his gaze to them, waving his hand frantically. "Go! I can handle myself!"

Honey was going to yell back in disagreement, but Gogo placed a hand on her shoulder. Going back into the chaos could result in all of them being attacked, meaning no one could save them. They'd have a better chance of saving Hiro once suited up.

Honey looks to Gogo, hurt in her eyes. She knew it was for the best, but that didn't stop her from worrying. "A-alright, just be careful!"

Hiro returned his gaze to the Octo. 'Careful as I can be with walking calamari here…' His brain mumbled to himself.

The group took off, heading to the location where their suits would meet them, along with Baymax. Hiro just had to fend for himself until they could arrive, which was easier said than done.

The Octo pounced over at him, giving him only a second to react. Hiro hops back, nearly tripping over some dents in the ground. It swung a tentacle at him. Hiro dodged again, but it nicked his shoulder. He hissed in pain and quickly placed a hand over it. It didn't break the skin as far as he could tell, just felt more like a harsh slap. He needed to find a way to damage it, destroy it if he could.

His attention was caught by a familiar scream, the owner belonging to someone he saw earlier. He moved his sight, spotting Karmi backed up against a wall, one of the Octos slipping off an unconscious body it had just fried, targeting the girl. Hiro knew he had to help, despite their rocky relationship.

Looking back at the robot locked on him, he brews a plan in his head. Without a second thought, he turned and dashed towards Karmi's attacker. As expected, the Octo followed Hiro, coded to take down its target by all means possible. Hiro nearly ran into the Octo about to lunge at Karmi, but with his heroic skills he's been learning from his work, he slid under it, thankful it was holding its body high enough to slide under. The Octo took a moment to look down, seeing the boy slide under it, coming to a stop on its right side. When it heard more movement, it turned as the other robot, still fixated on Hiro, bolted into it by mistake, causing them to both suffer from dents and cracks, evening breaking one of their lenses.

Hiro knew they'd recover quickly, so he dashed over to Karmi who was lost for words. "Quick, follow me!"

Karmi nodded faintly and followed behind him, eyes wide with confusion and fear, but not willing to disagree with her rival. "What's going on?" She gasped at him.

Hiro narrowed his eyes, but not at her. He was looking out at the rampage of rogue robots. "I think something went wrong in the coding…"

"A simple code error shouldn't cause this much destruction, right?" Karmi questioned. While she wasn't a robotics student, she was smart enough to know there's more to it.

Hiro knew she was right. Obake's name fluttered in the back of his mind, as Hiro knew he would be the first suspect on the list. But he didn't have time to think, nor any evidence, as he heard something explode. Both young teens stopped in their tracks, looking for the location of the sound. At first, they only saw the damages, a hole in the ground with scorch marks. But an Octo nearby provided an answer for what happened. It sparked, twitching as it was frozen in place. It had been overusing energy from shocking so many people, as it was not designed to take out so many. It's tentacles flung about before it exploded, leaving only a few reminds behind.

"That's not good…" Hiro gulped, his body tensing up as he knew this was going to get worse.

Karmi shared a similar look of dread with Hiro, but her attention was caught when an Octo was stalking towards them, electricity already sparking out of it. Her eyes widen with panic, but she reacted quickly.

"Move!" She blurted, blood rushing.

Hiro caught her warming and ran with her, narrowly dodging being shocked by a robotic octopus. But they weren't out of the clear, as the moment it landed it started chasing them, a few others following it. The pair ran alongside the building, looking for means of defence or protection, maybe even an escape if they were lucky.

A small part of their prays was answered, Hiro seeing the door leading into the building. They were sturdy, and Hiro could hack into them to lock the bots out, but they'd have to be quick. Pushing his feet against the ground, be leapt forward and pulls the door open.

"In here!" He called out to Karmi.

Said girl once again didn't argue, immediately rushing in, Hiro following behind and slamming the door shut. He dashed over to the control panel, pulling the front of it off and looked through the wires.

"Karmi, hold the door close." He ordered, focusing on locking the door.

She looked at him with a slack jaw. "You kidding me!? I'm only, like, sixteen, I can't block the door with a bunch of robots-!"

"Just try!" He huffed, patience already thin from being chased around by killer creations.

Karmi bit the inside of her mouth, stepping back to the door. An Octo cracked it open a little before she rammed into it, pushing it back outside and keeping the door shut. However, her body weight wasn't going to be enough with three of those things outside. They already began clawing at the door, trying to shove themselves in.

"A-Arg, how long does it take to hack a door?!" Karmi hollered at him.

"Just give me a moment!" He ranted back. He could generally hack faster, but he wasn't in the most relaxing of situations.

Karmi turned her attention back to the door, sweat beading down her forehead as she put all of her strength into keeping the drones out. Her feet were beginning to slip, and her tense body was getting sore, but adrenaline refused to give in. She looked outside through glass doors, almost gasping as her eyes locked onto one of the Octos. The one that nearly dropped on Hiro was twitching more, spazzing out much like the one that blew up.

"Hiro!" Karmi yelped.

Hiro growled under his breath. "I'm going as fast as I can-!"

Karmi knew she couldn't waste time with this. She had to take a risk. Closing her eyes as she took a sharp breath, she cut off Hiro as she dived towards him, tackling him and sliding across the clean marble ground together. The Octo burst, exploding where it stood. But with the two other Octos near it, they too exploded, tripling the damage. Many of the supports were broken, at the very least cracked. Without them, some of the roof and walls caved in, blocking the entrance and halls to other rooms. Outside light vanished, while the inside light flickered before fading away, nothing powering them anymore.

Hiro's ears were ringing from the blast, it took him a moment to even hear his own breathing. He could smell the dust from the debris, smoke from the broken bots, along with something sweet yet natural…

Shuffling a little, he found he couldn't move. He cracked an eye open, but he could barely see without any source of light. For a moment, he thought he was trapped under some rubble, but it was too soft. It was when he heard a soft groan, he realised it was Karmi on top of him.

"My head…" She mumbled, placing a hand on her forehead.

"...K-Karmi…" Hiro croaked, thankful the darkness was hiding his blushing face.

Karmi's eyes widen, hearing how close his voice was and knowing she was on top of him. She yanked herself off of him, falling into a sitting position. They were both embarrassed and shocked, but glad they didn't see each other like that.

Hiro placed his hands on the ground, pushing himself up to sit. He felts cracks in the ground, along with dust and small bits of rubble. His eyes narrowed as he tried looking around but still couldn't see anything. He looked forward, hearing something, only to be blinded by a bright light, yelping in shock, along with Karmi.

"Ah!" Karmi nearly dropped her phone, having pulled it out to use as a light source.

Hiro frantically rubbed his eyes, blinking a few times harshly before his vision settled. "Give me a warning next time" Hiro complained, finally frowning at the girl.

She gave an unamused look. "I didn't know where you were facing…"

"Still, a warning would have been nice!" He ranted, throwing his arms in the air.

She merely rolled her eyes at him. He was about to comment but thought better of it. Karmi shined her phone around, revealing the damage. Most walls were broken, cracks left in those that were still standing. The last few pillars that were inside the room didn't look like they'd last long, especially with the roof looking like it was about to fall any minute. The door was nowhere to be seen, or even windows and halls. The once fancy lobby was now looking like it fit in an apoplastic movie. The pair seemed to fit in as well. Covered in dust or grime, small tears in their clothes and ragged hair. Well, Karmi's hair looked shaggy and unclean, Hiro's looked mostly the same.

"I don't see a way out…" Karmi whispered as if she was short of breath. Most likely from shock.

"And we can't risk digging our way out...there's barely any support" Hiro added, brain already processing ideas for a way out.

"So, no going near the walls?" Karmi asked, looking down at him.

"No going near the walls" Hiro confirmed.

Karmi frowned, shining the light at him. "Why did you even lead us here in the first place? Now we're trapped."

Hiro glared at her, holding up a hand to shield his eyes from the light. "Excuse me, I was trying to save you."

"And look how that worked out…" She fumed, turning away with the light.

"God, can we not do this right now?" Hiro argued.

Karmi paused, staring at nothing. She groaned to himself and rubs her face. "Alright, alright…"

Hiro was a little surprised at how easily she agreed. Then again, they were trapped and could die. But they were stuck together, and Hiro feared a day like this would happen. Not necessarily trapped under a building that could collapse, but locked in a room together or in an awkward elevator ride. He didn't have a good feeling this would go well.

Karmi turned her phone around, typing on it. "I'll try and see if I can call for help…"

Hiro decided to take his phone out too. "I'll see what I can do…"

With that, they both turned away. Hiro quickly started texting the team, hoping they had their suits and were already beating down the bots. He vaguely tuned in on Karmi's call. She had called the police at one point, but then someone else. He got a few words out of it everytime he keyed in.

"Fine...stuck with a guy...need someone to...no...dad please…" Her tone kept shifting, sometimes sounding professional, then tired, annoyed or even a hint of sadness.

Hiro didn't question, staying out of her business. Instead, he wrote down his situation before sending it off to the group. Since Karmi already called the police, he didn't know what else to do. So while Karmi was still on her call, most likely with her dad, he sat there in silence.

* * *

Wasabi fixed on his helmet when his phone beeped. Taking it out, his eyes glanced over the message before he called to the others. "Guys, Hiro sent a message!"

Honey was the first one other, still worried for the boy. "Is he ok?"

Wasabi waited for Fred and Gogo to come over before reading the message. "I need help. Some of the Octos built up too much energy and blew up, trapping Karmi and me inside the building. I don't know how long the roof will hold."

Honey nearly gasped, quickly covering her mouth. Gogo's eyes narrowed, wanting to waste no more time. But Fred spoke.

"Hero and love interest trapped together! I bet there'll be some relationship growth." He nearly giggled.

Gogo scowled at him, slapping him before dashing off.

"Ow!" He yelped in pain, rubbing his face. "You know it's true!" He yelled out at her, flipping his kaiju mask over his face.

"Please be ok, Hiro…" Honey whispered to herself, following after Gogo with the others.

* * *

"..."

"..."

"...So...how's the weather?" Hiro quipped awkwardly, thinking about lightening the mood.

Karmi looked at him. "Seriously?"

"Hey, just trying to make light conversation" Hiro defended.

"I'd rather the silence." Karmi huffed, crossing her arms.

"Cause it'd boring, like you." Hiro retorted.

Furrowing her eyebrows, she scoffed. "At least it's more intelligence than what you ever say."

"I'm pretty sure silence can't get a PhD" Hiro smirked, always fond of jokes in arguments.

Karmi didn't seem to have as much joy as he did. "Why do you always have to act like a brat?"

"Well, why do you always have to act like a stuck-up jerk?" Hiro rebuked.

"Because I want you to stop talking to me," Karmi growled, her nose wrinkling up in anger.

"Why? What did I ever do, like seriously? I hi say to you and you get offended." Hiro quizzed her, frustration boiling.

"I want you to leave me alone, that's why. And what you did? For one, you killed my first virus, then ditched. You threw a chair at me along with spraying ketchup on me at lunch. You degraded my writing and stories. You always try to prove you're better than me!" She threw her hands in the arm as she listed off.

Hiro snorted. "I said I was sorry about the virus. The chair and ketchup was an accident. Your fanfictions are cringy, and I'm just expressing my geniuses."

"Oh yes, of courseeee. God, you're the stuck up one." A scowl formed on her face, eyes narrowing.

"How am I stuck up?" Hiro demanded to know. He was ready to listen and debunk her reasonings.

"You wanna know why? Well, first off the moment you come here you already have four close friends and companion, people to help you or look out for you despite not even knowing them for a whole year yet. Second, you always try to one-up people with your intelligence. I get it, you're smart, especially for your age and I'll admit that, but some people can do things you can't, along with not flaunting their talents in people's faces. Third, the teachers like Granville always have their attention on you. What about other students or me? She even gave you a lab despite being a new coming, you didn't work for it! I know it was your brother's lab but just….just…" She stopped herself, holding back her sharp tongue. She could yell at Hiro all she wanted, but she wouldn't go far enough to bring up his brother, so she cut herself off.

Hiro simply stared at her, his expression still on edge, but softened up. He didn't say anything, watching her try and calm herself down. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she pulled herself in, chin resting on her knees.

"...I never got any of that. Sure, people thought it was impressive that I got in at a young age and I could get along with the teachers. But I still had to work hard to get where I was, and I don't even have half of what you have." She admitted, trying to stop herself from stuttering. "I don't get what makes you so special and me pointless."

Hiro grumbled a sigh. He rubs his forehead, seeing what this all about. "Karmi, you're not pointless."

"That's not for you to decide," Karmi mumbled.

Hiro looked back at her, tone shifting quick as he tried thinking of the right words. "What about Liv Amara? She thought you were better than me." He begrudgingly pointed out.

"Ya, and I'm thankful for that. But you always remind me of what I don't have." She sighed. "You act bratty or full of yourself sometimes, I know you even have a bit of an illegal history." She raised a brow at him.

Hiro didn't say anything, rubbing the back of his head as he eyes glanced away.

"And yet people respect you, and you've made so many bonds or friends in nearly a year." Karmi turned her gaze away, breathing softly before whispering. "More than I have my entire life…"

"What was that?" Hiro thought he heard her correctly, but wanted to make sure.

She lifted her head. "How many real friends do you think I've had in my whole life?" She asked, a deadpan expression slapped on her face.

"Ah, I don't know." He rubbed the back of his head again. "Fifteen, fourteen?"

"Two." She corrected him, almost wincing like it hurt to remind herself. "And I haven't seen them in years. Both from kindergarten."

Hiro softly blinked, gazing at her, but not with a look of confusion, but one of understanding. He had a few friends here and there, but that was when he was rather young, and they never lasted long. Once he started going up grades, he stopped bothering making friends.

"The moment you joined SFIT, it felt like you gained everything, while I lost what I had left." Her eyes narrowed but quickly relaxed. She wasn't willing to get angry again.

"I wasn't handed everything. It took work and me giving up on a lot of things." His mind briefly flashes memories of his bot fighting days. They were a part of him, despite how bad they were. "But it was for the better."

"Still. You have friends, knowledge, a lab, respect...and a rival you hate." Karmi mumbled, closing her eyes briefly.

Hiro flicked his head around. "Karmi, I don't hate you."

She sat there in silence, her face darkening. Her mind was dancing his words around. Surely he was lying or giving her pity, almost everyone did. Other students said things about her, all those bullies from high school who left her to be a loner, losing her trust and desire for friendship. They always would end bitterly, wouldn't they? Someone backstabbing her and pushing her down the stairs, leaving her behind. Yes, he had to be lying. It made her wonder why she started opening up suddenly as if she was comfortable enough to tell him.

She shook her head and stood, holding her phone close. "Nevermind, can we go back to silence?"

Right there, Hiro recognised that look, that tone of voice and positioning. Too many times had he been like that around Tadashi everytime he brought up a point or made Hiro look at the truth. Living in a lie felt better than being beaten by the truth. But in reality, the lie was pulling them down somewhere dark, while the truth was smacking sense into them. He had to tell himself that bot fighting was terrible, that he would never get anywhere with it. He had to see that trying to get Baymax to kill Callaghan was wrong. He had to know that no matter what, Tadashi's presence would still be here. But right now, it wasn't him who needed someone like Tadashi, it was Karmi.

Standing too, Hiro stepped over to her. "I know what you've been through."

She didn't say anything, barely reacting to her words. She hoped that if she ignored him, he'd leave her alone.

Hiro bit the inside of his cheek. He wasn't the best with words, like his brother. "I had no one when growing up. All the kids were older than me, picked on me and I always the odd one out." He perked up when she mumbled something. "What?"

"...You had your aunt...and brother." She repeated, slightly louder.

"...What about you? I saw your parents earlier." Hiro questioned.

She breathed out a soft laugh, but one full of sadness, even annoyance. "I don't even know why I had me if I'm honest."

Hiro squinted in confusion, waiting to see if she'd continue. As he hoped, she did.

Holding a weak and false smile on her face, she spoke. "I feel more like their little trophy. Wanting the best from me, all my work to be perfect and excellent. No matter how hard I try, they would always point out a flaw. I know to take criticism, but nothing ever felt satisfying with them. Was always work, work, work for them."

It was starting to make sense. Karmi always wanted to prove her best, seeking approval from almost any adult figure, whether teachers or people like Liv Amara. She barely received it from her parents, and lacking that can make you feel empty, even worthless inside. But Hiro never had that. Tadashi and Aunt Cass always encouraged him, praised him on his work, when not used for something illegal, and would be amazed at what he could do. Trying to imagine what it would be like if those two neglected him, Hiro couldn't even imagine it.

"I love science and biotech. I always have but...sometimes I feel like I'm wasting my time, that I'm not trying hard enough." She turned a bit, eyes still facing away from the boy.

"Granville still approves of you." Hiro noted.

"Ya, but I've seen the way you've both been connecting." Karmi grumbled.

"But she's still your teacher. Honestly, if you want to spend more time with her just talk to her. I have, even when she's not in the mood." Hiro smiled lightly, fondly remembering some moments where he's entered Granville's office when she wasn't expecting anyone.

But Karmi didn't look convinced, eyes still glued to the darkness. That when Hiro decided to reveal something, hoping that it would help in the situation, rather than ruin it.

"When she ah...had us first meet and get you to help me. It was really for me to help you." That caught her attention, but he raised his hands before she could speak. "But not because she wanted me to teach you something with science or keep an eye on you. But rather to help you with social problems. She was worried, Karmi, worried for you. And while I get someone shouldn't force a friendship, sometimes you need a little push."

"She was worried?..." She looked back at him finally.

Hiro nodded, stepping a little closer. "There's nothing wrong with having private time by yourself. But being alone forever isn't healthy." He rubbed a hand through his hair. "Yes, I had Tadashi and Aunt Cass. But that's what helped me get here, what made me turn my path to a better future. You need someone like that as well, even if...it's hard...and you argue with them." Tadashi's voice hummed in the back of his mind. All those times he could have said he was sorry or tell him he loved him, he no longer had the chance. "It's scary to be connected with something. Some days you might be yelling your heads off at one another, disagreeing as you both have different views. But once it settles and you know you care for them, along with them caring for you, it's the best feeling in the world. Something many take for granted…" He took a deep breath. "I lost the closest person I had and shut away from people. I felt like blaming the world, others and myself, afraid to feel that pain again. Maybe not rejection, but loss. I didn't want to risk another bond like that. But that was one of my most stupid thoughts ever. It stopped me from recovering, tearing the wounds even deeper." He placed a hand on her shoulder, causing them both to make eye contact. "Opening up helped, connecting with people again. I didn't have to be friends with Honey lemon, Gogo, Fred and Wasabi. I could have rejected them, thinking it would be better than suffer losing them. But I did, they help ease the pain, listen to me when I need someone to rant to, or even hold me when I can't say or do anything…"

Her eyes were locked on his, brown laying over brown. Never had she ever heard Hiro sound so...mature, honest and heartfelt. The closest she ever got was him comforting her after Trengrove kicked her out, but that was nothing compared to this. But those negative thoughts still lingered, whispering it was all a lie. She stepped back, shuffling past some rubble.

"Why? Even after everything I've said and done, you still try and be my friend." Quavering, she tried steading herself.

"I had a feeling something was going on behind. Trust me, I know what it's like acting shitty around others who are trying to help." Hiro mused.

"My actions are still my own. I still acted horribly to you." She stated, understand what she has done was wrong.

"I know, we can't give excuses for our actions, but owning up to them is a start. Let's not forget, I haven't been the kindest to you. I called you things, judged you and have even...got...kind of...jealous."

That put a small but humble smirk on her face, hearing Hiro admit to jealousy. But that just proved he was right, accepting your actions rather than blaming others.

He gave a light smile back briefly. "Even those comments I said about your stories."

Her smile faulted, eyes looking away again. "No, I get it. I shouldn't be fantasising about those kinds of things...especially since it is with a real person."

"Hey, I've seen fanfiction that was nowhere near as cringy as yours." Hiro chuckled lightly, remembering those days he'd scroll through websites and read stories, finding some unpleasant ones. But bringing up her fanfictions made him question something. "...What is it about-...Captain Cutie...that made you like him so much? You don't know him."

Karmi's face showed she was thinking. She needed the right words to explain without making her sound like a hormonal teen. "The fact that he and his friends are...perfect perfect. Not as in they don't have flaws or could never do wrong. They're powerful people, saving the city daily and deal with damages beyond anything I could imagine, and yet they feel so human." She hugged her phone, dreaming about her experiences with Big hero 6. "I've seen them make mistakes, get into arguments and get put done. Yet they always find a solution and never give up. They use their hearts and brains to find a way out and save everyone, willing to protect people even if they don't know them. They put themselves out there, which make them the bravest people I've ever seen. And with that, deep down...I just felt they would be some of the few people to accept me." Lightly, she placed a hand on her chest. "They work with flaws, willing to take the time to help and always try to see the bigger picture. I figured that'd see past how I act and maybe...like me." A gentle blush crept onto her face. "And Captain Cutie, despite not being the strongest physically, still leads them and finds a way out for them. I know he has a drive pushing him to be great, a drive I admire." Her lips curled up into a soft smile.

Hiro, fixated on her words, felt a light blush on his face too. Thankful the light wasn't pointed at him, he quickly snapped out of it. "Well, you did meet them and share ideas with them."

Her blissful smile faded again. "I know, and that made me so happy. But would it ever be more than a dream?" She looked at him. "I'm just another face in the crowd, another person for them to save."

His eyes looked down. Sometimes it was so hard to have people talk about your alter ego without knowing it was you, because you could never be honest or straight up with them. He lifted his head, looking back at her. "I think you need to have more faith you're a little special to them."

Her eyes gazed over him. She saw no hints of snark or lies, he was genuinely trying to comfort and encourage her. It felt strange, but she liked it."Thanks…"

Hiro felt a warm feeling in his heart. The fact he managed to sit down, talk to her and help her, it was special, something he didn't think he could pull off. He wondered if this was how Tadashi felt when getting Hiro to go to college. "Anytime." She smiled back at her.

But now the two were in silence again, but it wasn't as awkward. Yet Karmi felt she needed to say something, given he had already comforted her.

"Hiro, I'm so-" But she was cut off from something digging.

Flicking around to the source of sound, they saw some of the rubble moving around. Something or someone was digging their way in. Hiro grinned, thinking the team had finally found them and were trying to get them out.

"That must be help!" He beamed, already dashing past Karmi.

She was ready to follow too, but as she shined her phone over to the location, something didn't feel right. Listening to her gut, she called to Hiro. "Wait, I don't think-!" Once again, being cut off.

Instead of help, it was instead the opposite of that. An Octo had dug its way in, having taken time to stabilise a tunnel that wouldn't crush it by the time it reached the two. Hiro only had a moment to react, sliding to a stop but stumbling over broken debris.

Instantly locking onto the boy, he leapt forward and tackled him. He had nowhere to run in time, so he couldn't dodge. The boy and bot slammed onto the ground. Hiro grunted, gasping as he held back a cry of pain. It simply felt like a massive ball of metal was dropped onto him, trapping his arms and legs.

"Hiro!" Karmi cried out.

He struggled under the Octo, trying to wriggle out. It predicted this and wrapped its metal tentacles around him, tightening hard enough so he couldn't move. The poor boy's lungs were being crushed, making he light-headed from a lack of oxygen. But he feared what would happen next, knowing it would shock him into he blacked out. With shaky eyes, he looked straight into its lenses. If this was Obake, then he could almost feel that man's gaze through the camera.

He was ready to accept his fate, tensing up for the torture. But he heard bellowing scream from Karmi. He didn't have time to look at her as the Octo was knocked off by a chunk of a broken piece of the floor. It smashed into the floor, it's light flicking as it struggled to stay online.

Hiro wasn't sure what to believe. That it could be taken down by a piece of marble, or that Karmi managed to chuck that at it. He certainly would remind himself to never piss her off if there were rocks around.

Karmi dashed in, reaching out to Hiro and grabbing his hand. "Come on!" She tugged him to his feet, barely giving him a second to steady himself before dragging him to the tunnel.

It was big enough for them, but it wasn't going to hold for long. Karmi felt tiny chips of the roof drop on her. She tugged on Hiro's hand harder, using her strength to help him move faster. She was the first out of the tunnel, nearly blinded by the sky and street lights. She ignored them and spun around to the tunnel. She heard it rumbling as it started to collapses, so she yanked Hiro out and they both rolled away from the tunnel that fell apart. Seconds later, the room they were stuck in collapsed on itself.

Panting heavily, almost a lost of words, she looked to Hiro. He coughed, waving the dust away. He was fine, just needed a moment to breathe. Karmi's blood was still pumping, adrenaline still kicking body. She was just glad it was over.

An Octo did dive down at them, and they wouldn't have noticed if not for a pink ball smacking into it, sticking it to the wall and bursting into slime. Almost panicked, the teens looked behind them, relaxing once seeing it was Honey Lemon who saved them.

"Hi-!" Honey stopped herself, knowing Karmi was right there. "Are you both alright?" She corrected herself.

"We are now…" Karmi waved.

"Ya, just...give me a minute." Hiro didn't care as he laid down, arms and legs spread out as he finally steadied his breathing.

Karmi simply gave a small smile, glad he was safe. But Fred, once again, ruined the moment.

"Are they holding hands?" He whispered rather loudly.

That's when Karmi and Hiro realised they hadn't let go of each other's hands. Hiro sat back up again, looking down at their hands with Karmi. Both let go at the same time, they yanked their hands back and looked away, but Hiro could faintly hear Fred snickering.

* * *

All the drones were destroyed by the time the police and ambulances arrived. The company would surely suffer, but they apologised to the town for what happened. Big Hero 6 was even helpful in explaining that this wasn't their fault.

Hiro had been sitting by an ambulance, having just been looked over. He didn't have anything major, just bruises and cuts, so he didn't need to go to the hospital. Right now, he was waiting for his aunt to come to pick him up. Distracting himself, he doodled in a notebook he borrowed from one of the medics. Fading out all the noises, he nearly didn't see Karmi walking past him.

Glancing up, he saw she seemed to be in the same sat as him, though she had a comfort blanket on her. Her expression seemed quiet, as if something wasn't right.

"Karmi?" He spoke.

She nearly jumped, having not noticed him either. She turned to him, eyes a little wide.

Standing, Hiro wandered over to her. "Hey, so I was-"

"Karmi?" A woman's voice was heard nearby.

Karmi seemed to stiffen and turned away from Hiro, ignoring him. Hiro frowned, a little annoyed that after what they just went through she was back to this. But he soon saw why, not taking it to heart, as her parents rushed to her.

"We've been trying to find you. Why didn't you tell us you were by the ambulances?" Her father questioned, a hint of worry in his voice.

"I just ah...was a little in shock." Karmi stuttered.

Her mother sighed, rubbing a hand in Karmi's hair. She pulled back, showing the layer of dust now on her hand. "Just look at you...come on, need to clean you up."

Karmi sighed to herself, rubbing her arm. "Yes, mum…"

Hiro raised a hand, wanting to say something. But after hearing about what her parents were like, he didn't want to risk anything. However, he did slip something into Karmi's pocket when she wasn't looking, hoping she'd find it later.

Karmi didn't glance back at Hiro. It felt bad to do so, but she didn't need her parents questioning her about him, she wasn't ready for that. His words still needed to settle in too, but she didn't know how long. After all, you can't change yourself in a day.

* * *

Karmi ran a towel through her hair, drying it off after her shower. She was now lounging around in her pyjamas, sitting down on her bed. It took her hours to remove all the grime and dust, even finding a few pebbles in her hair.

Placing her towel down, she reached over to her desk for her hairbrush. As she did, her hands hovered past the items she had removed from her pockets from before, as her clothes needed washing. It was her standard items, a phone, pen, extra hair ties and some money. But that's when she noticed an additional item, a folded piece of paper.

Puzzled, she took it and folded it open. At first, she thought it was some notes she scribbled down in class, but she knew this handwriting wasn't hers.

"Hey, I know you might still be on iffy terms with me. But if you ever want to talk...like forget about this whole rivalry thing for a moment, can text or call me anytime.

Hiro~"

At the bottom was a series of numbers. She knew it must have been his phone number. Her light shock was replaced by a smile. It would take time for her to warm up and move on, but she could work with this for now.

She reached over to her phone, adding the number to her contacts.


	2. Numbers And Words

**A bit on an add-on from the previous chapter, "Look Behind The Pages". It's shorter but meh, wanted to add it in.**

* * *

 **Characters:**

 **Hiro X Karmi**

* * *

 **Warning: Some medical talk but nothing too bad**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, sadly!**

* * *

She felt empty, having excused herself from the dinner table before even eating. It's not like she mattered, they never talked at dinner, just ate before going back to work. It made Karmi uneasy, sitting there and forcing food down her throat. She didn't have the energy for it tonight.

Lugging herself into her room, she swung the door close and rest against it, lowering herself to the floor. She took a shaky breath, stopping herself from screaming out her frustrations. Reaching a hand up, she pulled out her hair tie, allowing her hair to flow into its natural position. Pulling her legs in, she sighed quietly.

She always wondered what it was like having a normal family, one that paid attention to you. She knew that she wouldn't have ended up like this. Maybe she would have been kinder, eager to be around people with little fear. Yet, here she was, once again feeling like an item to her parents. They didn't hate each other, but love was a very fickle word in this house.

Running a hand through her thick brown hair, she calmed herself, taking deep and relaxing breaths. A normal life for her, a normal day once again. So, she stood back up, kicking her house shoes off and flopping onto her bed. She wasn't tired, but she was bored.

Rolling onto her back, her head scanned her room for sources of entertainment. She had a TV, but most of her shows were on hiatus, or she hadn't watched in a while. She looked to her laptop, thinking she could write another chapter of her fanfiction, or do some biotech work, but she had writers and inventors block, sadly. She had toys, mostly plushies, but she was too old to imagine anything with them. No new books for her to read and no pet or sibling to play around with. So, her eyes landed on her phone, sitting right on her bedside table.

Reaching over, she held it, switching it on. She first went to her fanfiction profile, reading over reviews or comments from people. They were still pretty positive or helpful criticism, a couple of rude ones she ignored or blocked. It put a light smile on her face. She read some other fanfictions others have written, either Big Hero 6 or for a fandom like Voltron or Troll Hunter. Once she was caught up on them, she messed around with some apps on her phone, once again getting quickly bored.

She clicked out of Angry Birds before her eyes locked onto the text messaging app. Ever since Hiro gave her his number, they've had a few conversations. Unlike when they were around in person, acting like rivals or trying to one-up each other, there was barely any negativity in their chats, as Hiro had offered. Still, it always took her some time to convince herself to actually text him, not wanting to come off desperate, lonely or even rude. But Today she didn't care, just wanted to talk to someone.

Praying he wasn't having dinner with his Aunt or something, she moved her way into their chat and began typing.

 _"Hey, you online?" - K_

She stared for a while, no signs of a reply coming in. She was about to place her phone down when it beeped. Looking back, Hiro had texted a response.

 _"Yuppppp, just working on somethings" - H_

She smiled fondly, typing back.

 _"I'm bored" - K_

 _";P Shame" - H_

She rolled her eyes, she could hear his cheeky sass just by reading his message.

 _"What are you working on?" - K_

 _"Actually fixing Baymax" - H_

Karmi blinked. It's not often the marshmallow bot could be damaged. The easiest thing you could do is pop his outer layer.

 _"What happened? Is he ok?" - K_

 _"He'll be fine, he's in good hands" - H_

Her phone vibrated as he sent in a picture. He was smirking, head near the edge of the screen. Baymax was behind him, seemingly waving at the camera. He didn't have his outer layer, along with missing an arm that Karmi could see on a desk in the background, most likely being repaired.

 _"He says hi" - H_

Shaking her head lightly, she laughed warmly. She could get annoyed with some of Baymax's inserting facts moments, but he was adorable. Plus, it was in his program to help people, so he never means to do harm.

 _"Hiiiii Baymax" - K_

The way Hiro interacted with Baymax was wholesome. Despite being a medical bot, it felt like he really cared for the boy, as Hiro did for Baymax. She suppose they had a special connection thanks to Tadashi.

 _"Hey, can you believe the homework Granville gave us? I've been staring at it for like two hours and my brain hasn't kicked in yet" - H_

 _"Oh ya, how do you think I feel? I'm not dumb, but some of this isn't even in my range of work" - K_

 _"_ it's so frustrating!" - H_

 _"We signed up for SFIT, we knew what we were getting into" - K_

 _"I apparently didn't. Should have done more research" - H_

 _"Let he guess, the science paradise side of things drew you in?" - K_

 _"Hey, no judging! -3-" - H_

She laughed to herself again. He could always make her laugh over text. It's probably because he was so chill and open on them, letting her picture his voice every time she read his texts. But joy vanished momentarily, her stomach grumbling harshly. Groaning, she rubbed it, thinking it would ease the pain.

 _"I'm starved…" - K_

 _"Not have dinner or something?" - H_

 _"...Not really. Wasn't feeling up for it." - K_

 _"I can't really say much, but I know that ain't healthy" - H_

 _"I know, but it was too awkward again." - K_

Hiro's next text confused her, as it didn't sound like something he'd say or send.

 _"Lack of food and nutritive and cause the following problems. Fatigue. Dizziness or fainting. Brittle nails. Hair that thins, breaks or falls out. Menstrual irregularities or loss of menstruation…" - H_

"Ahhh?" Karmi sat there, reading it over again.

 _"Wasn't me! Baymax texted that!" - H_

 _"...How?" - K_

 _"I gave him phone privileges." - H_

 _"Why would you?" - K_

 _"It seemed like a good idea at the time, alright?" - H_

Another bit of proof showing how close the two were. Hiro treated him like a real person, a friend he would never leave. Karmi couldn't judge. While Baymax could talk back, her viruses couldn't, yet they were still special to her, all an expression of passion and effort she's put into her work. She smirked, thinking of something funny.

 _"Think I should give my viruses phone privileges?" - K_

 _"God no! If they could text I don't even want to know what they'd talk about." - H_

 _"DNA? Growth?" - K_

 _"Gross, Baymax is enough already." - H_

Covering her mouth as she giggled, she remembered the times Baymax made comments about Hiro going through puberty, sometimes even in class.

 _"But are you feeling alright? Seriously, not eating makes you feel so crappy. I would know, given I've forgotten many times while working. Never notice until after I'm done…" - H_

Her face fell. It was a personal matter, and she still had issues about opening up. She still needed time. She typed in she was going to be alright but stopped herself from sending it. She had promised herself to try better. They were honest when texting each other, it was peaceful grounds. She knew lying would work either, since he admitted he's been through it multiple times and would know she wasn't okay. She deleted her message, writing a new one to send.

 _"I feel empty, but nothing too bad." - K_

 _"Nothing to snack on?" - H_

 _"Not all of us live in a cafe." - K_

 _"You think she lets me steal any of the products? I only get rejects or cutoffs." - H_

 _"But I know you'd have a stash of...chips or something." - K_

 _"...ok...maybe...but shhh…." - H_

 _"I don't really have anything for snacking on, maybe some leftovers or salads." - K_

 _"That's not snacks." - H_

 _"To you maybe…" - K_

She had caught on that Hiro was a bit of a foodie. Growing up around a baker and cafe owner would probably do that to you. There were snacks or wrappers littered around his lab. She once walked in on his chowing down on some gummy bears, which he seemed to like way too much.

 _"Besides, I need to watch my weight." - K_

 _"Pfff, you're skinny, you don't need to watch anything." - H_

She rolled her eyes. It wasn't that she hated snacking, it's more she was used to having full meals and barely needed to eat something little. Even if it was an apple or crackers.

 _"Nevermind…" - K_

 _"I'm just saying." - H_

Her eyes widened when she heard footsteps. Clicking her phone off and placing it to the side, she grabbed her notebook and pretended to be jotting down somethings. Her father cracked open the door slightly.

"Karmi?" He spoke, spotting her on the bed.

"Yes?" She lowered her notebook, looking over to him.

"Your mother wants you to help with the dishes. I have to head back to work...Someone messed up an order." He grumbled the last part to himself.

Karmi's eyes lowered briefly. "Right, I'll be there in a minute."

He nodded stiffly and closed the door, leaving. He didn't even ask her about not eating dinner. It might not have felt like a significant issue, but it didn't sit right with her.

Sighing, she grabbed her phone again and logged back onto the chat. Hiro had been still texting without realising she left for a moment.

 _"Baymax does say I should watch what I eat, but still fit and thin." - H_

 _"Well, maybe a little too thin and short, but that's beside the point." - H_

 _"Don't quote me on the short part, I mean it." - H_

 _"Hey, I have to go. Thanks for the chat." - K_

 _"Anytime. Besides, I should be working on Baymax again. Catch you at school." - H_

And with that, they both left the chat. Karmi placed her phone down, slipping her shoes back on and sped walked off to find her mother.

* * *

Once again, Karmi didn't eat. Her parents left home for work very early in the morning, way before she would wake up. They left her breakfast, along with a small note, but she ignored it. The food became tasteless over time, and the notes were always generic. After last night, she couldn't stomach it.

Dashing into school right as the bell rang, she went through two classes feeling light-headed, having not eaten in a while. She was considering grabbing something from the cafeteria early, but decided to wait.

However, at one point she was working at her lab desk, in a room she shared with others. Her's was one in the corner, a bit away from others. Reading over some notes, she looked to her current project. She was missing something, so she turned around, looking through the draws she had behind her. Bending down, she found what she was looking for at the bottom. Picking it up, she straightened and turned, but she spotted something that wasn't there before.

There was a brown paper bag on her desk, a little crumpled but clearly had something in it. She glanced around, not seeing anyone who would have dropped it off. She must not have heard them.

Puzzled, she stepped over, placing down the object she was searching for before. Opening the bag, she was hit with the smell of something delicious. Inside was a honey muffin, blueberry scone, a simple but nicely made sandwich and some napkins.

Clearly, it was some kind of packed lunch, but she had no clue who left it on her desk. Once again, she looked around the room, wanting to ask if someone placed it here by mistake, but her eyes noted something on the brown bag.

She turned it, showing a symbol on it, along with the words "Lucky Cat Cafe". It was Hiro's Aunt's cafe and home. She was shocked, but not confused. Hiro must have brought her food after last night's talk.

Her head flicked around once again, still not seeing the boy. He must have been rather quick for her not to hear or notice him. But she wasn't mad, in fact, it warmed her heart that he cared enough to do this. Like usual, they probably wouldn't mention this to each other in quite a while. So, she pulled out the muffin first.

Her taste buds water at the sight of such homely food, something she hasn't had in a long time. Even without tasting it, she knew it was made with love and time. Smiling so softly, she took a bite.


	3. First Gift

**Again, sorry this one is shorter, but I didn't want to drag it on. Also, I have no clue when their birthdays are, and I have no idea what Karmi's background it like, but this was cute to write about.**

* * *

 **Characters:**

 **Hiro X Karmi**

 **Granville (A Small Bit)**

* * *

 **Warning: nothing!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, sadly!**

* * *

Another year, another birthday. Her alarm blared off, Karmi tiredly slapped at it to shut it off. Groaning, she sat up, pulling her warm covers off. Like every morning, it felt like she has just risen from the dead, but that was normal. Looking at her phone, she saw a notification on screen, indicating it was her birthday, wishing for her to have a great day. She had a sour taste in her mouth, standing as she ignored the idea of this day being special, it was just another day for her.

She did the usual morning routine. Shower, change into her daily clothes, brush her hair before placing it in a ponytail, grab everything she would need for the day and strolling downstairs to eat. The food her parent left would be the in the microwave, keeping it warm.

As she walked over to it, she saw the dreaded list they left out for her. Ever since she could remember, her parents would ask her to write down what she wanted for her birthday, and most of the time they'd get it for her later. Any kid saw this as a way to spoil themselves, Karmi would be lying if she said she hadn't asked for some expensive gifts when she was little, but it changed as she got older. Items didn't please her for her birthday, as they never felt special. Most people get surprised with gifts from others, not asked what they wanted on the day. When Karmi had been moving into her teen years, she would have always asked for a day to spend with them or for them to come home, but they always disagreed with that wish. Now of days, she doesn't even bother and picked some random item she's been thinking of.

Today, she only wrote down a new set of notepads and a movie she's been meaning to watch. Once that was out of the way, she grabbed her breakfast and started eating.

* * *

Hiro knew something was off. When he came into class, he saw Karmi in her regular placement. At first, he didn't notice anything, just took his seat. It wasn't until Granville was calling out names that something didn't feel right. Karmi glumly replied when she was called out. She didn't seem to have the keen for learning expression on her today. Her body slumped in her chair, and she didn't look happy about something.

He sometimes glanced at her, but she never saw him looking over. He wasn't sure how to react, sure he was concerned, but he didn't know if he should get involved or not. He waited until after class, once the bell rang and everyone left. Karmi grabbed her bag and trudged her way out. Granville was erasing what was written on the board but realised Hiro was still in the room.

"Something wrong, Mr Hamda?" She raised a brow, slowly looking over to him.

Hiro rubbed the back of his head, really not sure if he should be asking her. "Well ah…"

She waited for him to speak, but he paused for a good while. "Yes?" She lightly pushed for him to talk.

"Did you...notice anything about Karmi today?" He finally asked.

"I did, was a little glum today. Why do you ask?" Granville inquired.

"Do you know what's wrong?" Hiro questioned.

She raised her brow again. "And why would I tell you?"

Hiro shrugged, picking up his bag. "I don't know, thought I could help."

Granville held back a smile. She was aware the two were on strange terms, always arguing or trying to out beat each other, but she knew something was going behind all that anger and annoyance.

Clearing her throat, she replied. "Karmi always acts like this when this day comes around."

"...Why this day? Is it some kind of holiday I don't know about?" Hiro was puzzled, not seeing why that would upset her.

She shook her head at his response. For a genius, he could be oblivious sometimes. "It is her birthday, Mr Hamada."

Hiro's eyes widen slightly. "Oh…" He could simply say.

He was about to ask why she was sad about it, but remember what she said about her family and social life. Her parents wouldn't probably spend the day with her to celebrate, and she didn't have anyone to hang out with or even have a party with. Gifts would have been in small amounts, he doubts she even got a cake.

Granville watched as he seemed to be thinking to himself. "If you wish to help, maybe do something special for her. It is a day you should be happy for."

Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked back at her. "But what could I do?"

Shaking her head again, she nearly spelt it out to him. "A gift would be an easy start."

"A gift….A gift! Thank you, Granville." Hiro beamed as he dashed out the class, barely hearing Granville's reply. He made his way to his lab, but on the way, he stopped."...What do I even get her?..."

* * *

School was nearly over, which Karmi was glad for. She just wanted to go home and relax in her bed, allow the day to vanish into tomorrow. She had one more class before the students were released. Before she headed over, she needed to grab some different textbooks she left at her lab station. Stepping in, she saw some familiar students working on their own projects. She walked past most of them, finding her way to her spot.

It took her a minute to find what she was looking for. Making sure she grabbed the correct ones, she placed them on the desk, lining them out and reading over their titles. She wasn't in the right headspace, half gazing over them, the other half not focusing on anything. It's why she had to do a double take when seeing a small gift on her desk.

It was about the size of her hand, so it wasn't big. The box was purple, bright red ribbons tied over it. Underneath it was a small note. She slid it out from under it and read it.

"Happy Birthday~."

Was it all it said. Her brows furrowed, feeling like she knew this handwriting. Her eyes looked down at the box. She felt a little uneasy, but at the same time curious. Someone knew it was her birthday and gave her something, and she didn't know what it was.

Praying it wasn't some kind of cruel prank, she untied the ribbon, pulling it off and slowly lifting the box. What was inside make her eyes widen, heart about to explode. It was a keychain of a chibi Red Panda and Captain Cutie, who was riding on Red Panda's back. It was the most adorable thing she had ever seen.

She lifted it up by the chain, taking in every detail. It was brand new, she could tell by the fresh paint and with absolutely no scratches. She knew it wasn't made by any brand that produced Big Hero 6 merch, as she has never seen a design like this before.

She blinked softly, as if she was about to cry. She sighed with joy, holding the keychain close to her chest as it warmed her heart. It was the first personal gift she's received in years. Immediately, she attached it to her bag, watching it dangle.

Honestly, she could have sat there, tapping it and watching it rest on her bag for hours. But she snapped out of it when she heard the bell ring. Going from joy to shock wasn't enjoyable, as she frantically grabbed her textbooks, the box and notes, rushing off to her class. However, she couldn't help but keep thinking back to the note, the owner of the writing was on the tip of her tongue.

* * *

When Karmi arrived home, she walked past the gifts she asked from her parents, leaving them sitting on the table with another general note from them. Instead, she headed to her room, slipping off her shoes and placing her bag on her desk. She sat on her seat, lightly brushing a hand on the keychain figures.

A warm smile plastered on her face. Even now, she couldn't get over it. Someone had gotten her something meaningful, something she loved and didn't ask for. It was different, it was special. But she still didn't know who the gift giver was.

Not until Hiro texted her. She reached over to her phone, gazing over his text. At first, she thought he was just saying hi or something. But she was wrong, his message making her snap out of her happy daze.

"Happy Birthday, Karmi" - H

She stared at the text with wide eyes, as if not believing what she was reading. She never told Hiro about her birthday, nor would he have notifications telling him about it. She was going to open her phone and ask him how he found out, along with a light thank you.

But that's when it hit her. Dropping her phone back on the desk, she looked through her draws, rummaging around like wild. She found the paper with Hiro's number on it. Quickly, she took the birthday note and compared them. They had the exact same handwriting.

Once again, she stared in disbelief. He had taken some time in the day to make her a gift. It felt odd to think about it, yet it felt more heartwarming. So she wasn't weird out or mad, basically the opposite.

Her eyes slowly looked back at her phone. She turned it back on, logging onto their chat. Her eyes were fixated on his text, hands unmoving as she didn't know what to say. Eventually, she knew the easiest thing to say, was the right thing to say.

"...Thank you." - K


	4. It's Ok, Hiro

**Obake Yashiki is one of my favourite episodes so far. It was well done and expanded some of the character, especially Obake and Hiro.**

 **I was a little sad we didn't get Karmi. I wouldn't have minded if we just saw her in the background. Mostly, I just love seeing characters dress up. I saw some people picturing her dressing up as a witch, so I came up with a different costume.**

 **Also, I'm sorry if this feels rushed or OOC, I'm not the best at writing and just wanted to write a sad moment between the two.**

* * *

 **Characters:**  
 **Hiro X Karmi**

 **Bits of Granville, Baymax and Aunt Cass**

* * *

 **Warning: Nothing much, some talks about grief and death**  
 **Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, sadly!**

* * *

Cass fixed on Hiro's little pirate hat. She pulled back, getting a good look at his costume.

"Aren't you just the cutest pirate?" She cooed.

Hiro held back a blush. "Pirates are cool, not cute." He tried correcting her.

She merely shook her head lightly. "Whatever you say."

Hiro and Baymax had just finished getting changed for Halloween. They'd had told Aunt Cass they were going with their friends, but none had shown up yet. Cass typically stays behind at the cafe to serve Halloween themed dishes, along with giving candy to trick or treaters.

This would be Hiro's first Halloween without Tadashi. They had always gone together with matching costume themes, visiting every haunted house possible and see who would get the most candy. It was always Hiro, he was just so cute and always got extra treats. But he wasn't here this year, so Baymax took the position of wearing a matching suit, and Hiro would still go out and enjoy the night, he couldn't hold back after what happened, it helped with moving on.

"Good luck you too, but don't be out all night," Cass advised.

"We will. Thanks, Aunt Cass." Hiro stepped forward, hugging her.

She hugged back, lightly patting his back and watching out for the makeup on his face. She stepped away and waved him bye as she moved back to the kitchen, getting ready to prepare the food.

Hiro and Baymax strolled outside, stepping onto the sidepath to wait for the gang. He wasn't sure how this night will go. They had already planned to go see a haunted house, but it was his first Halloween with his friends. He knew he'd be seeing Fred continually trying to find a way to scare Gogo, which would be amusing. It would also be an excellent opportunity to show Baymax the holiday, a new learning experience. Speaking of Baymax, the bot suddenly spoke.

"Hiro, Karmi is coming over to us." He lifted a hand and pointed a balloon finger.

Hiro followed the direction, seeing that instead, it was Karmi, coming across the street to see them. Hiro would have to admit he probably wouldn't have recognised her if it weren't for Baymax, as she was wearing a Grim Reaper outfit, hood over her head and covered in face paint that made her look like a skeleton.

Hiro gave her a smile as a greeting. "Hey Karmi, happy Halloween."

She lifted a hand and pulled back the hood. "You too." She looked him up an down and smirked. "Cute costume."

Hiro frowned lightly, annoyed. "It's not cute…" He mumbled.

"Why a pirate?" She questioned, looking over at Baymax.

"One, hadn't been one before, second, I don't know." He admitted.

Baymax raised a hand, waving smoothly. "Hello."

Karmi smiled, holding back some giggles. "Well aren't you two a duo."

"That's what we're going for. But nice costume, looking really spooky there." Hiro complimented.

"Thanks." She lifted the side of the robe a bit, looking down at it. "I've been getting it together the whole month."

"What inspired you to be the Grim Reaper?" The boy tilted his head.

She smirked again, more jokingly. "The deathly feel of school."

This successfully made them both laughs warmly. They still had bumpy terms, but they had gotten better. Their rivalry side would appear randomly, mostly in school, but when nothing was provoking it, they were rather chill around one another, like passing each other on the street.

Calming from the laughter, Hiro spoke again. "What are you planning on doing tonight?"

She shrugged. "Wander around, get some candy, maybe see one of those corn mazes. I mostly just liked dressing up."

"Well if you don't want your candy-" He was cut off by her.

"Nice try, but you're not getting any." She leaned on her scythe.

"Damn." He chuckled. "I'm heading out to see a haunted house with my friends."

"Oh really, where?" Karmi inquired.

"42 Primrose Ave. Run by some guy named ." He explained to her. He rummaged through his pockets, pulling out his phone to show her the add he received.

Leaning in, her eyes read over it. She nodded lightly. "Huh, I might check it out later."

"You big on haunted houses?" Hiro lowered his phone, placing it back into his pocket.

"Only if they're good. Honestly, I haven't been to many." She stated.

If she were sincere, she hadn't been going out trick or treating for many years, only the past three years when she was old enough to go out alone. She mainly had to stay home, giving candy out to passerby and make sure they didn't get pranked.

"Well if you want an expert on them, could join us next year." Hiro smugly smiled, but his offer with genuine.

"I might take on the offer, if I've gotten used to your annoying tendencies." She jested.

Once again, he put on a light frown. He didn't comment, just rolling his eyes. He heard some voices down the street, loud enough thanks to a certain Mister Fredrickson. He looked down the road, seeing his friends approaching.

"Hiro, our friends are here." Baymax, once again, pointed out.

Karmi had seen to too, knowing it was her queue to go. "I better get going. Have fun at the haunted house." She flipped her hood back on.

Hiro looked back at her. "Good luck miss Reaper."

She smiled under his hood before walking off. The small pirate watched her leave, vanishing around the corner with some other trick or treaters. The day had started out quite nice, putting a smile on the boy's face. But what he didn't know, was this would be the most haunting Halloween ever, for him.

* * *

A few laters, early November, students returned to school for another day of work. Karmi entered her class with some other students. Granville was already there, writing on the board. Karmi took her seat, taking out her items from her bag.

She caught sight of Hiro walking in from the door. Lifting her head, she watched him take his seat, but in such a quiet way. He barely lifted his head, staring down at his desk, black strains of his hair hovering over his eyes. He even seemed more pale than usual, bags under his eyes as if he didn't get a good night sleep.

Karmi wanted to ask him what was wrong, but it wasn't the time to talk to him. Granville began the lesson, attracting her attention, but it always glanced back at the boy sometimes. She wondered if Granville had noticed since she always had a hawkeye on Hiro. He wasn't even doing most of the work, sometimes doting down notes before going still for a good while. He also looked to the door sometimes, staring out its window, as if expecting to see something.

When the bell rang for next class, Karmi packed her things, one of the last to leave. But she stopped at the door, hiding around the corner as she heard Granville talk to Hiro, who hadn't moved from his seat.

"Mr Hamada, is something wrong?" She asked, but with a rare soft tone.

Her heels could be heard clicking against the ground, most likely walking over to the boy. He didn't seem to say anything for a while, probably staring down at his paper.

"Ya, just...the last couple of days have been rough…" His voice was weak, sounding unsure of himself.

"Did something bad happened?" Granville gently questioned, not trying to pressure him.

Hiro swallowed, clearing his throat. "It…has to do with Tadashi."

Karmi's eyes lowered. That would explain his mood. She knew Tadashi was a very touchy and upsetting situation to talk about around him, but it was easy to understand why. Granville seemed to know this too, putting away her harsher side when it came to this issue.

Granville sighed softly. "I see...have you talked to your friends about it or your Aunt?"

"Ya, I just need some time to think over it…" Hiro murmured, picking up his papers.

"I understand, take the time you need." She assured him, allowing this behaver in class.

Hiro's last words were hushed, Karmi almost couldn't hear him. "Thank you…"

She then heard hear slipping out of his chair, grabbing his bag and papers out the door. She quietly moved around the corner to another hall. He failed to notice her, eyes glued to the floor.

Karmi peered around the corner, watching him walk off. She wanted to follow, talk to him about it, yet she couldn't convince herself. They weren't close enough to talk about something so personal, they might get into an argument which would make it worse. Plus, she didn't know what to say. She wasn't exactly the best when it came to comforting others, never knowing what to say and having her own negative thoughts linger in the back of her mind. She thought it would be better if she didn't say anything, wait for him to return back to his usual cocky smart self.

But then again, he had been helping already. Given her someone to talk to, even if it's just over text, gave her a present for her birthday, even offering to go with her on Halloween next years. She owed him, but she still didn't think she was ready.

She sighed to herself, walking off as Hiro floated around her mind.

* * *

She failed to get him out of her mind for the rest of the day, even after school. She sat around in one of the Biotech labs, testing one of her new viruses. She doesn't usually stay past 7pm, but her mind was clouded from work and worry, making her lose track of time.

She kept telling herself she shouldn't do anything with Hiro, that he has the people he needs to help him. But there was always that one thought itchy at her, refusing to leave until she gave it a shot.

Taking her viruses, she placed them back in their little homes before looking at the clock, seeing it was 8:53pm. She would be late when coming home, no doubt her parents questioning what took her so long. So she grabbed her bag, switching off the lights and exited the school. However, before she left the property, she spotted a familiar face.

Hiro hadn't gone home yet. Seeing things that reminded him of Tadashi was too much right now, mainly since they once shared a room. Then again, he didn't know why he was heading to that building. He didn't have to look up, identifying the familiar pathway. It wasn't until he knew he was close, did he lift his head, reading the sign near him.

'Tadashi Hamada Hall'

Obake had crossed a line. He used the one person that would haunt Hiro for the rest of his life. He wanted to use that day to move on, enjoy a holiday with his new friends and Baymax, but it ended with him in pain and nearly broken again. If the man had wanted to damage the boy, he had succeeded, even if Hiro tried hiding it.

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he walked up the stairs, pushing the door opening so silently and ambled in. It was much like the original hall, but with a different colour scheme and upgrades, along with a picture on one of the walls, it was of Tadashi, a dedication of him and to show people who they named the place after.

Hiro was pleased by this kindness, showing the school cared deeply for one of it's most prized students. He was one of the most compassionate and understanding of people anyone would have known, both students and teachers knew this. But there was always that twinge of hurt in Hiro, as if the irony of naming the place he died in after Tadashi felt wrong in some ways.

He stepped towards the painting, steps almost becoming shaky, nearly stopping as he got closer. He looked up at the photo of his brother. It could never radiate the same warmth the real man could give. Obake couldn't copy him so easily. Tadashi was smart, kind, patient, determined, humble and always wanted the best for Hiro. And while he was fooled at first, it was easy to see the brother he saw the other day was nothing but a lie.

But for those moments he was fooled, he felt whole again. It made him realises just how empty part of him felt. Light as a feather without his rock. He wished it was real, that it was Tadashi he was talking to and not that sick man who was tormenting him from behind the scenes.

Was it too much to ask just to hug his brother again? To wake up and see him in his other side of the room, deep in slumber from working late with homework? To joke around with in ways only siblings could? To have someone protect him from this cruel world that loved pushing him around?

But fate had different plans in mind, pulling the brothers apart and never letting him move on when he was getting better. Then again, he supposes that was grief. The wounds would randomly open again, but becoming smaller over time, but the scares and cuts never will never leave.

He tried speaking, as if trying to react Tadashi's spirit through the picture. But no words came out of his mouth, blocked by sorrow and holding back the tears that threaten to appear. He could only swallow, fists tightening as he tried to calm himself.

He suddenly heard footsteps. He flicked around, praying it wasn't another illusion from Obake somehow. However, he only saw a olive-skinned girl with brown hair, stopping in her pace, staring at the boy with a concerned expression.

Turning his whole body, he gazed at Karmi. "...I...I didn't think you were here this late." He mentally cursed as his voice cracked, unable to pull up a clever facade.

Karmi straightened into a mild position. "Got a bit carried away with some projects."

"Oh…" He didn't know what else to say.

Karmi was screaming at herself in her head, begging her to excuse herself. She didn't feel comfortable with talking to him, not like this. But he could put up with her and help her, then she had to do the same. She took a sharp but quiet breath, walking over to him. She looked at him, before her gaze moved to Tadashi's picture.

"...He was a nice guy." She uttered.

Hiro looked to her, thinking of a question he's been meaning to ask her. "Did you...know him?"

She shook her head faintly. "Not really. But he knew about me, one of the few to acknowledge me. He'd sometimes help me carry something, open a door for me and other gentlemen like things." Her gaze lowered slightly. "It surprised me how nice it was, despite not knowing me."

"He was always that kind of guy." He turned back to the picture. "Could never be cruel to anyone without reason." He went silent as the two stared at the photo. But when he ushered his next words, he failed to stop himself. "He was always the better one out of the two of us…"

Karmi looked at him, a soft but sorrowful expression on her face. "Hiro, don't say that…"

"But it's true...yes, I was smarter than him, but at least he had a heart to balance out his brain." He looked down, blinking quickly to stop the tears again.

"I know he...was more sociable than you, but that didn't mean he was better than you. Honestly, you shouldn't be comparing." She consoled.

He lifted his head again, this time look at her. "How can I not? He was the one to sort out his life, go to college as soon as he left high school, make plenty of friends, supported everyone and was a lovable guy. Me? I'm just a brat who never knows when to shut his mouth."

Karmi hesitantly raised a hand, but placed it on his shoulder. "But I know you're clever, imaginative, brave and so much more. Come on, you need to give yourself more credit here."

He flinched to her touch, stepping away, just out of reach. "That doesn't forgive my horrible nature…"

"You're being harsh on yourself." She lowered her hand, giving him some space.

"I'm being honest with myself. The only reason I even joined here was because of him. If I went my way, I'd still be bot-fighting and running away from gangs…" He rubbed his arm. "He had more of a life ahead of him than me." He eyes slowly lifted up at the picture, his brother's eyes seemed to follow him. "...It should have been me."

Karmi's eyes widen, in disbelief of his choice of words. "Hiro…"

"He had friends, he had dreams, he had goals, he had a creation, he had it all...now he doesn't, because I couldn't stop him…" He swallowed, teeth gritting together. "He paid the price while I was left behind." He turned his head away, unable to look at Karmi or his brother. "Life was always cruel to me, but this was just the cherry on top, taking away the only person who hadn't given up on me, the only person who could convince me to take a better path, the only person I could admit almost anything too…" He took a shaky breath. "Without him...I don't think I'll last long...I'll just end up failing again, even with how hard he worked to get me here." He closed his eyes, head lower as his hair covered his eyes. "...It's not fair…"

She watched him, allowing him to speak those words that were locked in his mind. All thoughts of not wanting to help had vanished. She couldn't see him like this, it wasn't right. So, she stepped closer, standing right behind him.

"...The world's cruel, I know. It likes to play sick jokes, I know. It likes to keep pushing us down until we feel nothing, I know…" She reached out again, placing a hand on his shoulder with no hesitation, feeling him stiffen. "But if you can get up from what it's done, then you're stronger and better than you think...Most let it consume them, fill themselves with pain and hatred, as if that fixes anything. They push away not only the world, but everyone that cares for them. They never speak out the truth, only misery and anger…" She sighed softly, looking down for a moment. "They feel it's better to be alone, than to put yourself out there and get hurt again...like me."

Hiro lifted his head, but didn't face her.

She saw his movement and continued. "But you? No, you continued on with what your brother left you. School, friends and Baymax. You could have locked yourself away and never try, but here you are now. Look at the things you've done, you can't say you're not proud of yourself, even after all of this." She looked to the picture. "And while I didn't know him, I know he would have been proud of you to not let his death hold you back." She looked back at Hiro. "I don't know much about death and grief personally, but I know it's hard, and that's ok. No one said it would easy. It's ok to miss the one you loved, to want them back. It's ok to be mad and vent, it's ok to be scared for what could happen...it's ok to be sad, because it's something worth crying over. It's not something you simply get over, it's something you work with and live with, and you're doing the best you can. I don't even know how you can act so happy most of the time, joking around and being so prideful of your work."

She reached her other hand over, gently turning him to face her. His eyes were looking down, tears lingering in his eyes. Her spare hand drifted to one of his hands, holding it and rubbing it softly.

"And you're not alone...use the people you have." She spoke truthfully, having started to see the importance of company and the presence of others who care.

His lips trembled softly, as if trying to say something. But he stood there, staring at nothing as his mind processed her words. A few tears slid down his face, his eyes shining brighter. He swallowed once more, taking a sharp breath. He still wanted close comfort, it always made him feel better. But since his brother, Baymax, friends or even Aunt Cass weren't here, he had to settle with the closest thing.

To Karmi's surprise, he leaned in and hugged her, resting against her as he silently cried. She hadn't a hug in ages, so she wasn't prepared for one. But she wasn't going to deny it, not when he was like this. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around him, holding him close, letting him cry. She heard him sniffle or hiccup quietly, it was a wonder how he wasn't bawling his eyes out already.

She rubbed his back gently. "It's ok, it's ok...It's ok, Hiro…" She whispered soothingly.

Somehow, he believed her. He felt safe in her arms, his brother's photo watching over the two. Something about having comfort from someone closer to your age felt nice. It wasn't awkward, like they could understand how bad the teenage mind could get, what it was like being so young in a world that always messed with you. So he stayed like that with her for a long time, and honestly, Karmi didn't mind…


	5. The Last Of The Real Ones

_**I was listening to this song from Fall Out Boy, and it seemed fitting for the two, especially after the season finale.**_

 _ **This is also my first songfic, hope I did it right!**_

* * *

 _ **Characters:**_

 _ **Hiro X Karmi**_

* * *

 _ **Warning: Nothing!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, sadly!**_

* * *

I _was just an only child of the universe_

 _And then I found you_

 _And then I found you_

* * *

Karmi had been walking home when it happened. The bright light spawned in the sky, it's energy blowing everything back, even from a distance. It was a small star, about to blow up the city.

Karmi feared something terrible was going to happen, especially after the attack on the school, but she never dreamed it would be this destructive. It scared her, chilled her bones and froze her in place. The harsh winds from the energy blew her hair wildly, her eyes reflecting the star's light as she stood on the cliff side road, gazing at the ocean view with the impending doom.

She didn't know how to feel. She wanted to cry, afraid her life was over. Angry that she wouldn't be able to improve her life, become a better person and prove her worth. Scared that everything was for nothing and that no one can save them. Numb, that maybe it was for the better, this way she no longer had to suffer.

But word quickly spread that Big Hero 6 were already acting to save the day, clearing people away from the shoreline as Fredzilla and Captain Cutie controlled a massive kaiju machine. Karmi wasn't sure what their plan was, but she had faith they would give it their all. And that hope was enough to encourage her to find safety and lose some of her fear, but it replaced it with worry, for she didn't want them to get hurt in the process, death even seemed possible. She didn't want to lose her heroes, they were the very people that helped her keep going.

* * *

You are the sun and I am just the planets

Spinning around you

Spinning around you

* * *

She stood with many people, atop a hill. They weren't close to the waters anymore but still had an ocean view. As the star imploded, the kajiu jumped to impossible heights. It was then that Karmi knew what they were doing.

She froze again, but unlike everyone else, it was not because of the star, but rather for the heroes. They would stop the star with water, creating a large enough wave to swallow it, but they were at risk. They could be too close to the explosion or sink, killing them. They were willing to die for the city for everyone.

She held a hand close to her chest, whispering quietly. "Don't let them go down like this…"

* * *

 _You were too good to be true_

 _Gold plated_

 _But what's inside you_

 _But what's inside you_

 _I know this whole damn city thinks it needs you_

 _But not as much as I do_

 _As much as I do, yeah_

* * *

They did it. The city was safe with little damage. Everyone jumped with joy, hugging their loved ones and friends, thankful they didn't have to say goodbye. But Karmi simply began to rush down back to the shoreline. She wanted, needed to know if Big Hero 6 was alive and well. She wanted to know if her hero didn't die for the city, she couldn't live with that.

Yet, she admired it. The boy behind the mask, near her age even, was willing to die for everyone, he cared enough to risk his life. If only she knew who was behind the mask, it would make her understand all the real meanings.

Sadly, she didn't know, but that didn't stop her from caring about the hero behind the mask. She may fantasise about him and only met him once, but he would never know how much his heroic deeds have helped her through some tough times.

* * *

'Cause _you're the last of a dying breed_

 _Write our names in the wet concrete_

 _I wonder if your therapist knows everything about me_

 _I'm here in search of your glory_

 _There's been a million before me_

 _That ultra-kind of love_

 _You never walk away from_

 _You're just the last of the real ones_

 _You're just the last of the real ones_

 _You're just the last of the real ones_

 _(You're just the last of the real ones)_

 _You're just the last of the real ones_

 _(You're just the last of the real ones)_

 _You're just the last of the real_ ones

* * *

Tall Girl, Speed Queen, Chop Chop and Globby were down by the waters, waiting for the return of their friends. Some civilians had joined them, mostly a group of kids they saved with a bus. Karmi was there too, standing by and praying with everyone they would return.

But time passed, the sun setting and no signs of the heroes. Now, worry had spread over all of them, concerned and hoping they had not fallen in the battle. Many would not handle the truth well.

But their concerns were washed away as a red dot approached their area, soon shaping into Red Panda who carried Fredzilla and Captian Cuite with him, along with a tiny robotic flying next to them. The team cried with joy, pulling themselves into a group hug, even the ex-villain joined in. It was a touching sight that no one disturbed. It may not have been enough of a thank you, but giving the team space after what happened was all the city could offer for now.

But when things settled, people swarmed over to them, getting pictures and autographs from the city saviours. Karmi was eager to get one with Captian Cutie, but when she looked around at everyone that flocked them, she couldn't bring herself to do it. After what they just did, she was nothing compared them, just another face in the crowd. But her true feelings didn't falter, so as much as she wanted to, she denied herself this chance, letting other people have their moments with them.

She gave one glance at her hero, who was currently trapped between a bunch of kids as they took a picture. She gave a warm smile that shined from the sunset.

"Thank you…" She breathed, turning away and walking off.

* * *

I _am a collapsing star with tunnel vision_

 _But only for you_

 _But only for you_

 _My head is stripped just like a screw that's been tightened too many times_

 _When I think of you_

 _When I think of_ you

* * *

Her parents had been worried, nearly tackling Karmi the moment she entered the house. It surprised her, but she understood. They might have their family issues, but they did care for each other deeply, just struggled to show it.

After Karmi explained where she was and what happened, the family sat together for dinner, but it was lively for once. It was interesting what a near-death experience could do, how it could bring people closer, if but for a moment. It warmed Karmi's heart, but her emotions will still mixed.

She laid in her bed, staring at the roof as she held her pillow, deep in thought. She wanted to thank the heroes for what they did, for what they were willing to risk, but didn't know how. It needed to be personal, to make her stand out so they would notice and not brush it off as another simple thank you. And idea popped into her head. Leaning over, she grabbed her laptop and flipped it open.

She wrote a new chapter for her fanfiction, but this time it wasn't a story, but rather a note. Since her stories were popular and she knew the team read it, she had a good feeling they'd see it, and they'd understand how thankful she was.

 _"Dear Big Hero 6_

 _I thank you for what you did. I know you'll be getting that a lot, but you deserve the praise. Not many would risk their lives for others, especially in such a scary scenario. The thought of danger scares off many, fear controls them and doubt hinders them, yet you held back all of that and showed your bravery, kindness, intelligence and humanity, all for us._

 _You saved me once before personally, and I'll never forget that experience. Meeting you proved how human you all were, falling to your flaws and weaknesses, yet keeping a level head and keep going. Something many have yet to learn, like_ myself _. And today, this just made my proof solid. Keep up what you're doing, because this city needs you, people like me need you. Don't ever doubt what you're doing, because, in my eyes, I know you'll always try and do what's best and fix what mistakes have been made, whether from others or your own._

 _I'll never understand what we did to deserve a group such as yourselves."_

Karmi smiled lightly before summiting the notes.

* * *

I _will shield you from the waves_

 _If they find you_

 _I will protect you_

 _I will protect you_

 _Just tell me, tell me, tell me, I_

 _I am the only one_

 _Even if it's not true_

 _Even if it's not true, yeah_

* * *

Hiro relaxed in his bed, finally getting a moment to relax after everything. His body was sore and tired, having screamed for a rest for days now. He had spent weeks on a project with little sleep, battled a group of villains, get kidnapped by his own robot, stopped an exploding star with a kaiju robot, nearly drowned and searched the waters for Obake. He didn't have a hard time seeing why he was tired.

He knew it the later weeks won't be easy, having to adjust to some new things, like Obake's death, Granville knowing their identities and the repairs in San Fransokyo, but he was glad it was finally over.

But, despite having redeemed himself after making the power amplifier, he still immense guilt for making it in the first place. None of this would have happened if he had just listened to Granville. It was his weakness, letting his big brain get in the way, not listening to the others reasoning or his conscious that had faded years ago. How could he forgive himself? It was a part of himself that he hated, yet struggled to remove.

It was then he heard his phone bing, indicating he received a text. Grabbing it, he saw it was Fred, he sent a link.

Hiro tilted his head and clicked it. It sent him to the fanfiction website, Karmi's page. He had occasionally read up on it, still highly embarrassed to read the parts where he and Karmi got rather romantic. It wasn't sure if he was up for reading a new chapter, but it became clear to him it wasn't an update on the story, instead of a note from the girl herself.

He read over it, her words surprising him, yet comforting him. He remembered how she talked about why she looked up to Big Hero 6, the fact they were so brave and willing to help, yet still distinctly human deep down. Many thought they were perfect, yet she knew they had flaws, and it made her love them even more. If she was willing to accept those flaws and weaknesses, they Hiro could too.

He smiled softly. It would take time, but he was sure he could improve on his reckless nature, and maybe one day forgive himself.

* * *

'Cause _you're the last of a dying breed_

 _Write our names in the wet concrete_

 _I wonder if your therapist knows everything about me_

 _I'm here in search of your glory_

 _There's been a million before me_

 _That ultra-kind of love_

 _You never walk away from_

 _You're just the last of the real ones_

 _You're just the last of the real ones_

 _You're just the last of the real ones_

 _(You're just the last of the real ones)_

 _You're just the last of the real ones_

 _(You're just the last of the real ones)_

 _You're just the last of the real ones_

* * *

Hiro exited Granville's office. It let out a deep breath he had held it. It was hard to tell her that they still hadn't found Obake, but he was happy to see they were on better terms than when they first met. She even called him by his first name for once.

He started to walk back to his personal lab. As he did so, he glanced around at the damage from the attack. It was being repaired quickly, but there were still dents, scorch marks and cuts everywhere.

As he turned the corner, he stopped. He saw a group of students helping some builders, Karmi was among them. He hadn't seen her for a while and would be lying if he hadn't felt a little bit worried about her safety after what happened. But she seemed alright, happily carrying a box of tools over to one of the builders.

He wanted to talk to her, just to make sure she was ok. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. Their relationship was unclear. They were still snarky to one another, but they keep having personal moments, especially when they were trapped together or when Hiro actually cried in front of her, hugging her for comfort. It was a standpoint and Hiro didn't know how she felt. Personally, he would love to be friends, but he understood it was a struggling topic for her, as her history damaged her trust and want for a bond with anyone.

He was just another person in her life, at least that's what he thought, and right now, she didn't need him. So he walked back down the hall, looking for another way to the labs.

* * *

 _I'm here at the beginning of the end_

 _Oh, the end of infinity with you_

 _I'm here at the beginning of the end_

 _Oh, the end of infinity with you_

 _I'm done with having dreams_

 _The thing that I believe_

 _Oh, you drain all the fear from me_

 _I'm done with having dreams_

 _The thing that I believe_

 _You drain the fear from_ me

* * *

A week went by, and Karmi had a suspicion that Hiro was avoiding her. It wasn't obvious, but she couldn't help but notice she saw and heard less of him. Sure, she saw him in class or wandering around, but he hadn't made any attempts to talk to her.

It concerned her, thinking she did something wrong, or maybe he was going through something. She didn't know where he was during the countdown to catastrophe, so she didn't know what effects it had on him.

She knew she had to be the one to strike up a conversation, despite that usually being Hiro's job. He had a better time with it than she did, but it looked like she didn't have much of a choice. So when lunch came around, she darted over to Hiro's location.

He was sitting at the table his friends tended to occupy, but they hadn't arrived yet, thankfully. Hiro was talking to Baymax about something when he saw Karmi approach.

"Hey, Hiro." She bit the inside of her cheek, feeling like she came on too strong.

Hiro blinked, surprised she was talking to him. "Oh, evening Karmi.

Baymax raised a hand, waving. "Hello."

She crossed her arms. She didn't want to act so hostile, but her tone and body language was not helping. "Have you been avoiding me?"

"What makes you say that?..." Hiro questioned, confused.

"You haven't talked to me, did something happen?" she explained before asking.

"Oh, sorry...Guess I've been busy processing somethings...you know?" He attempted a small laugh, but it came out as a weak couple of huffs.

Her eyes softened, arms uncrossing. "About what happened?..."

Hiro stared at her, eyes gazing at her own. He was clearly contemplating something, thinking of the right words, but he merely sighed. "Ya…"

She walked over, taking a seat next to him. "Scary, wasn't it?" She watched him looked at her, she raised her hand. "I won't laugh, I promise. I was scared too anyway, so it would be hypocritical to joke about it."

He nodded lightly. "It was a close call, I wasn't expecting something like that to suddenly happen."

"I don't think anyone was. An exploding star would be the last thing to expect." Karmi pointed out.

"True, you'd have to be insane to want to recreate something like that." Hiro lightly chuckled, but knew the darker meaning being those words.

Karmi felt a little relief to see him smile again, calming her worries. She didn't expect anyone to walk away normal after what happened. "You ok, though?"

He was a little taken aback from the question but answered as honestly as he could. "Stressed, nervous, scared, upset? You know, the normal reaction."

"Why are you upset though?" That choice of word confused her.

"Ah...it's a long story. Let's just say I'm not proud of something I did." He wished he could explain more, but it would bring her too close to his hidden identity.

She wasn't going to push it, it was apparent he wasn't well enough or up for it. "Will you be alright?"

He nodded again, much more softly. "Ya, just need some time to work things out...what about you?"

"Honestly? I was scared to death, felt like everything was over for a moment...I'm just glad it isn't." She wasn't ready to die, not with things like this.

"Guess we're in the same boat." Hiro smirked at her, changing the tone.

She raised a brow but smirked back. "And what a wild boat it was…"

It was hard for them to see how much they were genuinely affecting each other. They supported one another in ways that even they didn't know. Yes, they had their flaws and differences, but that made their relationship a challenge, something needed to teach them and build them into better people. One day they would see this, knowing they've needed someone like them for a long time.

* * *

'Cause _you're the last of a dying breed_

 _Write our names in the wet concrete_

 _I wonder if your therapist knows everything about me_

 _I'm here in search of your glory_

 _There's been a million before me_

 _That ultra-kind of love_

 _You never walk away from_

 _You're just the last of the real ones_

 _You're just the last of the real ones_

 _You're just the last of the real ones_

 _(You're just the last of the real ones)_

 _You're just the last of the real ones_

 _(You're just the last of the real ones)_

 _You're just the last of the real ones_


	6. Bad Luck Alley

**Sorry for the wait, I'm just going through some tough times. So, the stories might come out a little slower. I hope you understand...**

* * *

 **Characters:**

 **Hiro X Karmi**

 **Yama**

* * *

 **Warning: Light Violence **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, sadly!**

* * *

It had only been a month since the entire city had been saved, and the damage was still there. Granted, repairs had been made or are still going underway, along with most people finally settling after the near-death experience, but fear still lingers through the city, as if at any moment this could happen again. It happened once in the past and was nearly repeated in the present; thus it could happen in the future.

Karmi was among these people. She had gone back into her normal life routines, but she had been on edge and more careful. She almost lost her life that he's currently wasted, so it opened up her eyes to a few things. She had to set her life straight, but it wasn't going to be easy.

And yet she made a mistake today, a massive one at that. She hadn't meant to, but she stayed at the labs a little too late and panicked when she realised she would be late when she finally came home. She barely had enough time to grab her things and dash out of the school.

She'd been having to take another route, given her regular one by the ocean was still being repaired. However, this one took up more of her time as it was a longer path and was often crowded, even at night. It was mostly adults walking around, a couple of teens wandering around or rushing home.

Karmi was glad that her parents hadn't called her yet, wondering why she was late getting home. They always notice when she's not home, so this most likely means they haven't returned home either. So, if she was fast enough, she could get home without them even knowing she was late.

Dashing and shoving past the adults that towered her, she rushed down the sidewalk. She mumbled a few apologises to those she bumped into, but most of them tended to ignore her. She reached the end of the street but came to a stop. She knew where to go, but when she looked to the city clock, it was easy to say she wouldn't make it back in time.

Her eyes darted around for anything helpful. She wasn't in the mood to have to explain to her parents what happened, they would easily over exaggerate or question her heavily. A simple answer was never enough for them. Especially after what happened. They had been keeping a better eye on their daughter when the city was nearly destroyed, but it was understandable, most would want to watch out for their kids after something like that. But even then, it still bugged Karmi and somehow made things harder between her and her parents.

It was then that her eyes landed on an entrance to an alley, and not just any alley. Good Luck Alley, a very well known area that even she's heard about. There were plenty of markets, whether legal or illegal, mugging, bot fights and so on, so it wasn't the safest of places to go. She knew better and never ventured to it, but today she felt it make be for the best. Despite its negative reputation, it had pathways to almost anywhere in the local area, another reason it was so popular. She knew for a matter of fact that some alleys lead to her neighbourhood.

She bit the inside of her cheek. It was crazy for her to even consider it, but when her eyes looked back at the clock, she made her decision, and in a rush, she headed towards the alley. Keeping her eyes low and trying not to draw attention to herself.

At first, it wasn't so bad. Markets and people near the entrances were peaceful or neutral, not really paying attention to the young girl. But that quickly changed the deeper she went in. She saw people about to break into fights or just arguing loudly, shady people selling things, from robotic parts to even weapons. Some of the buildings were blocked out from the outside world, bouncers keeping people out. They were most likely used for different competitions and battles, like Bot fights.

Keeping her distance, she sped walked through the maze of alleys. She was aware that some people glanced at her, some evening snickering or whispering something. She didn't stop or look, knowing better. However, she soon realised she didn't know where she was going and would have to risk a stop to look at her phone.

She looked up, glancing around before hiding around the corner. She didn't see or hear anyone, so she beveiled she was in the clear, slipping her phone out and going onto her map app. It told her she was halfway there and needed to keep heading straight. Nodding to herself, she went to stick her phone in her pocket, only to be stopped when someone grabbed her wrist.

She gasped, her breathing hitching from shock. She hadn't even heard them come up behind her. But she did hear them chuckle as they tugged her over. She tried to struggle and break free, but it was clear she couldn't match this man's strength.

"Hey, boss!" The goon called out over his shoulder.

"Let go!" Karmi growled, trying to pry his fingers loose.

A massive man in a dark blue tracksuit walked over, every step his took almost looked like he was stomping. The sight of the massive man-made Karmi freeze, his size didn't seem possible to her, he could easily crack her head with one quick motion. She gulped and stared with wide eyes.

"What, what is it?" Yama huffed but stopped in his track when his goon showed him the girl. He smirked and leaned down towards Karmi. "And who do we have here?"

"I think she's lost, boss." The goon smirked.

"I-I…" She didn't know what to say.

"What's a young kid like you doing out here at night? Did you lose your parents~?" Yama chuckled, sneering.

Karmi swallowed. "J-just heading home."

The second goon, this one a woman, peer around Yama. "Do you need help, we could take you?" She suggested, obviously for a trap.

"No!" Karmi cleared her throat. "I-I mean, no thank you, but I can really take myself."

"Come now, little girl, it's dangerous out here for someone like you…" Yama teased.

She felt a shiver go down her spine. This was a mugging, and she knew it, she wasn't dumb, but didn't know what to do. The goon still had a good grip on her, which would leave some bruises on her wrist. The woman looked like she could be fast enough to catch Karmi if she made a run for it and there was no way she could fight her way out.

"W-what do you want? I don't have any money, I swear!" She croaked, getting more desperate with her tugging.

"Now you see, that's not good enough." Yama narrowed his eyes, his eyes lowering down to Karmi's phone. "Hmm...expensive model. Your family must be well off." His grim smirk returned.

"I ah…" She couldn't finish her sentence.

"I'm a humble and fair man, so I can make a deal with you, and if you perform the terms, then you can go home, easy and simple." The man proposed, straightening and allowing his shadow to loom over the poor girl.

Karmi was starting to shake, her legs losing feeling. "I-if I don't?"

"I can show you a taste of what would happen." He began to crack his knuckles, making her reject asking such a question.

The woman of the group was eager to watch, but her attention was caught by movement behind her. Turning she saw a plastic bag moving towards them. Normally she'd calk it down to it being the wind, but it was clear that something was crawling around inside of it.

"Ah, boss." She tapped his shoulder, eyes never leaving the bag.

Yama growled and flick around, never enjoying being disturbed. She pointed out to the bag, and he followed his gaze. He too was confused, knowing something was moving towards them, something small.

The goon holding Karmi raised a brow. "Probably just a rat."

The woman knew it was the logical answer, but something didn't sit right with her. So she walked over to it, kneeling down. The moment she got close, it stopped moving, sitting there. She tilted her head, puzzled but curious enough to reach towards it. Her fingers wrapped around the top of the bag, gripping it. She had to be careful if it was a rat she didn't want to get bit, but there was still no movement.

"Just lift the bag up already." The goon ordered, he wasn't a patient guy.

She pulled the finger at him with her free hand, easier communication than speaking back. But she did lift the bag, a little hesitant, but she did. To her surprise, and the others, it wasn't a rat or an empty bag, but inside it was a tiny and familiar robot, it's bright yellow face sticking out from it's black and slick body.

Megabot was looking up at her, its faces switching to red as it leapt towards her, smacking into her face. They heard a crack as the woman's nose began to bleed harshly.

"Gah!" She yelped and staggered backwards.

Megabot jumped onto her chest and managed to crash her into the ground. She wasn't knocked out, but it would take her some time to recover.

Yama's eyes widen, knowing exactly the owner of the bot. But before he could speak the name, he heard his goon cry out.

A figure had rushed out of the shadows, wielding a rusty pole. They slammed it into the goon's leg, possibly cracking something. It was enough to make the man let go of Karmi and fall back, hugging his fresh wound.

Yama flicked around, seeing the hooded figure. Despite not seeing the figure's face, he knew who it was. "Zero…" The man snarled.

Hiro flicked back his hood, his messy black hair flowing back into place. His face was not amused. He was use to this man going after him and his friends, but they knew how to handle him. Karmi? She would have no clue, so it was easy to say he was not happy with Yama going after someone so defenceless.

"Long time no see Yama." Hiro joked, but his tone was hardly joyous.

Karmi stared at Hiro in surprise, questioning what he was doing here but also wanting to thank him. "Hiro, what are you doing here!?" She nearly screamed.

"Oh, you know, just looking at the sights...including the trash." Hiro glared at Yama.

The man snorted. "What's got you in a twist, eh? This your girlfriend or something?"

Karmi hid her blush and looked away, but Hiro didn't flinch this time.

"You have a knack for picking on kids. What, were you the school bully once? That's if you ever went to school." Hiro retorted.

She looked back at him. She had never heard Hiro speak in such a way, or so confidently around a gang leader.

Yama snarled, but let out a light chuckle. "You make me laugh. But you were a fool to come save the girl, now I have you."

Hiro raised a brow, taking out Megabot's controller. "Do you?"

Yama's eyebrows furrowed, but he felt a smack to the back of his head. Yelping, he stumbled to a wall to rest against. Hiro had made Megabot hit him, and it was not a light tap, that's for sure.

Hiro took Karmi's hand as Megabot rushed over to them, latching onto Hiro. "Come on!"

She didn't have a moment to process anything before he started to drag her. Yama quickly recovered. His goon was out due to an injured leg, so he pulled up his other member, who was currently trying to stop her nose from bleeding.

"After them!" He ordered, screaming in her face.

She was dazed, but understood, running after the kids with Yama. It would take time to catch up, but they still had sights on them, seeing the two dashing around corners as they tried to lose the angry gang members.

Karmi struggled to follow behind Hiro, thankful he hadn't let go of her, or she would have fallen behind. But she noticed something about his movement. He never hesitated on where to go, never coming to a dead end or somewhere even more dangerous. He knew this place like the back of his hand. She was aware he had some criminal history, but after seeing his talk with Yama and his knowledge of the layout of this place, she was starting to think it might have been more severe than she initially thought.

"What do we do?" She called out to him.

"Just keep following me, I have an idea." He replied back, eyes always looking forward.

She did look back once or twice, seeing Yama and the woman still following behind. She didn't know what Hiro planned, but she hoped he knew what he was doing.

It seemed it did, leading them to a crowded market. Sadly, the two would still easily stick out, Yama was clearly too familiar with Hiro and Karmi's clothes were rather bright for the location. But blending in wasn't Hiro's plan. Instead, he slid over to someone's stall and hid under it, yanking Karmi down with him to hide.

The owner of the stall looked surprised, but when they saw Hiro, they already knew what must have been happening, going back to tending to their stall.

Karmi looked to Hiro with wide, tear-filled eyes as she tried processing what was happening. Hiro was peering out from under the stall, spotting Yama and keeping an eye on him.

"...A-are they there?" Karmi whispered, unable to stop herself from shaking.

Hiro nodded. "They're looking around...But I don't think they'll find us."

It was strange how unnerved he was, his body use to the experience and mind knowing exactly what to do. It felt odd to her, to see him in such a was, almost even scaring her. But he was confident and knew what he was doing, so she believed in him.

And he ended up being right. Yama moved on pretty quickly, thinking he knew which direction the two headed in. But they waited to make sure they were in the clear. Hiro crawled out from under the stall, brushing the dirt off his pants. He looked to the owner.

"Thanks...again…" He rubbed the back of his head, smiling faintly.

The owner rolled their eyes but chuckled. "And here I thought you finally were staying clear of trouble."

"I am, just an unlucky night." Hiro vaguely explained.

"Right, right. See you around, kid." They turned back to their stall.

Hiro helped up Karmi. She was still in shock, but she managed to contain herself and follow Hiro without falling into a panic stated.

"Who was that?..." Karmi gestured back to the stall.

"Someone I met when I use to hang around here. One of the few people that didn't have a grudge against me." The boy revealed. He was well known around Good Luck Alley, but he did know a few people who weren't out to kill him, which he was glad for.

"And Yama?..." She questioned.

He seemed to pause to that. It was personal history, but he knew Karmi was aware of that part of his past. "Someone I tussled with in Bot fighting, I've had some issues with him here and there. So it's best we get out of here quick." He looked back at her. "I know how to get to your street."

"Hiro…" Karmi spoke, wanting to know more.

He knew what she wanted to hear, but he didn't want to talk about it and began walking. She sighed but followed behind, not going to push on with the subject, thankful to be safe.

* * *

Hiro was right, he knew where her neighbourhood was. Karmi knew she would definitely be home late, given her phone was blaring with text messages from her parents she had yet to read.

"Home sweet home." Hiro laughed softly.

Karmi rubbed her sore wrist, looking down the street and at her house. "What about you? I could get my parents to drop you home…" She offered.

Hiro shook his head. "Nah, I'll be good."

Her eyes lowered to his hand, he was holding Megabot who had gone offline. She lifted her eyes back up to him.

"So...about all of that?..." inquired.

Hiro sighed and turned away. It wouldn't have been that easy to brush off the subject. "Look, you and I both know that you know that I have...bad history. I've moved on, but of course, some of it's going to haunt me. I did piss off a lottttttt of people." He rubbed a hand on his neck.

"Then what were you doing there before?" She tilted her head, frowning a little.

He stiffened, having prayed she didn't notice that. "Ah...long story."

"Were you bot fighting." Her eyes lowered to the bot in his hands.

"No, no!" He waved his hands frantically.

"But you're holding a bot...and were in Good Luck Alley." She was started to sound somewhat confused.

"Karmi, I just…" He crossed his arms, looking away. "Just don't want to talk about it...I wish I could explain to you, but it's a tough subject...but I promise I'm not doing anything like that. I've learnt my lesson enough times to know."

She gazed at her, reading his body language. She didn't know a criminal past of any sort, so she knew it would be hard for her to understand. Yet she could tell he was genuine. He did give up that life for SFIT and his friends, which, at least to her, seemed worth it.

Her eyes softened. "Alright...But I ah, better get home."

"Will you be ok?" He lifted his head. "You're still hurt."

"Hiro, it's just a bruise, it'll heal." Her hand subconsciously wrapped around the hurt wrist.

"I guess. But you should put some ice on that, cooling the blood vessels can reduce the amount of blood that leaks into the surrounding tissue. Reduces the pain and swelling."

"..." She blinked, staring at him.

He shrugged. "Baymax."

"Right…" She walked past him and headed towards her house. But she did stop, hesitantly looked back at the black haired boy. "...Thanks…"

He placed Megabot in his pocket before looking at her. He merely gave an understanding nod before dashing off down the street, as if he was in a hurry.

She stood there, watching him run off until he was out of sight. He was a strange guy with a background she might not ever understand. She was tempted to try and call someone about his whereabouts, but she knew she wouldn't. She had enough trust in him to get home safely. Plus, her bruise was starting to ache badly now, grabbing her attention. But as she grew closer to her house, she couldn't help but smile.

Looked like she had two heroes watching out for her.


	7. Curious Aunt

**I feel so bad. I wish I could be updating more often, but it's really hard at the moment. So, this was the best I could get myself to do.**

 **On the plus side, I got a new bird, and they are a sweetie pie!**

* * *

 **Characters:**

 **Hiro X Karmi**

 **Aunt Cass**

* * *

 **Warning: nothing!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, sadly!**

* * *

When Hiro had returned late to home, after saving Karmi, he was yet again grounded by Aunt Cass. She didn't know how many times she had to enforce these rules on her nephew, but she would admit he has gotten better since he's gone to college, it's just that sometimes he can fall back into his old habits, despite her not knowing the real reasons behind them.

But since Hiro was grounded, it meant Cass would be picking him up from school until she trusted him again, given the trouble he sometimes causes when coming home. The aunt was sitting in her small red car, fingers tapping on the steering wheel as she waited.

Classes were over and many students flocked out, though plenty stayed for after school work. Cass's eyes drifted around, gazing at some of the students. She felt a small amount of pride in her. Her little boy was among these geniuses, even though he was significantly younger than them. Still, she had to keep up her tough position if he was ever to get a better attitude. She supposes he got it from her side of the family, since while her sister was reasonable and mature, Aunt Cass did have a pretty wild side when she was a teen. Embarrassing memories lingered in her mind, but she quickly pushed them away when she saw her nephew, his deep black hair was an obvious way to spot him.

She rolled down her window, readying to stick her arm and head out to wave to him, but her eyes caught something else, a girl. Now, there were plenty of girls in this college, but this one was much younger, closer to Hiro's age. She had brown hair, brown eyes and olive tan skin. Her ethnicity seemed to be middle eastern, possibility Jewish. But what was important is that she was talking to Hiro, her nephew. It surprises her since he never really had friends near his age, barely even talk to other kids even. Imidentily, Cass knew this girl must be special.

She wasn't sure what they were talking about, but their body langue was normal, and they were nodding a lot. They eventually waved goodbye, and Hiro finally noticed his Aunt's car. Ambling over, he opened the door and slid in, dropping his bag in the back seats.

"Hey." He greeted as he buckled in.

She didn't say anything, which puzzled him. Frowning, he looked over to see her grinning at him. To be frank, it was eerily creepy.

"...Ah...Aunt Cass?" He hesitated, not sure if something bad or good happened.

"...Who's the girl you were talking to, Hiro?" She questioned.

Hiro blinked, before realising she must have seen him with Karmi. "Oh ah, just a girl in my class...Her name's Karmi."

"Karmi, huh?" She paused again, still gazing at him. "How come you've never mentioned her before?"

"Long story, we weren't on the best of terms for a bit." Hiro waved his hand.

Cass raised a brow, curious and concerned what those rough terms were about, but she decided to ask later. Turning back to face the road, she switched gears and drove away from the school.

However, she still managed to keep Hiro in her sight somehow, noticing him flicking his head around to look outside, spotting Karmi walking off. He kept his sights on her until she vanished around the corner.

She smirked. "Whatcha looking at?"

Hiro's eyes widen and he looked back at her. "Ah, you know….the trees?"

Cass simply let out a sudden squeal of joy, stinging Hiro's ears as he nearly covered them with his hands. With one hand still on the wheel, she wrapped one arm around Hiro to give him a side hug.

"My little boy, already at college and falling in love!" Cass beamed. She did have a desire to be a grandmother of some sorts.

It took a moment for Hiro to register what she said. He became wide eye quickly, struggling out of her grip of love, his usual pale skin brightening to red.

"Woah, woah, what?! Who said I liked her like that?" The small boy exclaimed, flustered and bewildered.

Cass held back a giggle. "Honey, there's nothing wrong about it. You're at that age when things change and you'll start to get urges-"

Hiro raised a hand sharply. "Baymax has already covered that side of things." He glanced away for a moment before looking back. "Back to the topic. I do not like Karmi in that way."

Cass raised a brow again. "Ah huh?"

"Seriously! God, why does everyone assume I like her like that? First the gang, now you." He mumbled the last bit to himself, clearly remembering all those comments from Fred.

"Aw Hiro…" Cass finally took a breather, calming down. "It's just a surprise, you know? You barely got along with anyone your age, but now you meet this girl who you've suddenly welcomed as a friend, a big step."

He crossed his arms, but not in an aggressive manner. "Ya, well...I guess I gave it a shot. Plus, we both kind of needed it."

"What do you mean?" She tilted her head.

The boy waved his hand lightly. "Granville asked me to do something with her, but I found out she was anti-social as hell. We ah...weren't very nice around one another. Couldn't share the same room without us sparking up an argument."

"Sounds like she could compete with your attitude." Cass snorted softly.

Hiro simply frowned at the teasing comment before continuing. "But eventually...I managed to get her to open up, and since then we've been becoming proper friends slowly."

She proudly smiled. "By the sound of it, you did need each other."

"A harsh slap from reality. Stings, but had to happen." Hiro shrugged.

"How's the relationship right now?" She questioned.

"Middle ground, if I had to say. We're still rivals and get snarky with each other, but we're respectful and sometimes check on each other. Mostly text each other." Hiro explained.

"Since when did you give her your phone number? You're private about those kinds of things." Cass pointed out.

Hiro wanted to smack himself, he shouldn't have said that. "She wasn't in a happy spot, so I offered her to talk to me when she needed it."

"That's so sweet." Cass placed a hand on her chest, smiling warmly. "Sounds like she is a special girl."

"Yes, but not in the way everyone is thinking." Hiro gave a look, knowing exactly how she was viewing this relationship.

"What were you talking to her about just before?" Cass looked back at the road, finally getting a green light to move.

"Actually, that reminds me. She's coming over in the weekend for a project." He informed her, praying she won't over think about it.

Cass blinked, but slowly started to smirk. "Oh, why?"

"After what happened, Granville decided to let the class get some easy homework. We're just suppose to pick a film, primarily something to do with science, and pick out what makes sense and what doesn't, and how it could have made sense." Hiro was rather excited about this, he was a big movie fan after all. He already had a list of movies to pick from. "Karmi and I are partners."

"Oh! You could let her stay for dinner, I wanna get to know her." Cass grinned.

Hiro stiffened, hearing those dreaded words. "O-oh, I'm not sure if her parents will allow it."

"Come on, nothing wrong with asking." She encouraged him, watching him fidgeting in clear embarrassment.

"We might be too busy with our research." He tried another excuse.

"Hiro, it's analysing movies. That's child's play for someone like you." Cass retorted.

He groaned and rubbed his face. "Aunt Cass, please noooo…" He saw her smirk cheekily again. She knew full well what she was doing.

"It'll be fine Hiro, just one simple dinner, I promise." She held up crossed fingers.

He frowned, annoying. He knew he couldn't win the argument. She was determined to have this dinner with Karmi. She'd probably even go behind Hiro's back and arrange it somehow. So, sadly, the best he could do is agree and go with it.

"Fine…" He huffed, crossing his arms and sinking into his jacket.

"Thank you, Hiro." She leaned over and nuzzled his head quickly, before going back to driving.

He grimaced, now dreading what he had hoped to be a fun weekend of movies. Now he'll have to deal with an Aunt conceived this is the girl Hiro will marry. There was no way he could easily explain this to Karmi.


	8. The Dreaded Movie Night

**Been getting back into some more writing, thankfully. Got some more plans up ahead in these stories.**

 **And thank you all for the support and reviews so far, they always make me happy when reading them**!

* * *

 **Characters:**  
 **Hiro X Karmi**  
 **Aunt Cass**

* * *

 **Warning: Nothing much**  
 **Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, sadly**!

* * *

Hiro laid on his bed, staring at the roof. He was dreading the night Karmi would come over, ever since his talk with Aunt Cass. He didn't know what to do, already getting embarrassing when thinking of what Cass might say or ask. However, that's if Karmi said yes to the dinner before the movie. He had yet to text her.

Baymax stared at Hiro from his charging pod. He scans already told him he was stress, but not in a serious matter. He had waited to see any change or if Hiro would speak, but nothing happened and they stayed in silence for a good while.

"...What seems to be the problem, Hiro?" Baymax finally spoke.

Hiro pulled his head up, looking at his friend. He wasn't sure how to explain his situation, or if Baymax would know what to do.

"Cass wants Karmi to come to dinner before we do our assessment." He explained, holding back a whine.

The bot tilted his round head. "What is wrong with that?"

The boy sat up, throwing his arms up. "Cause she'll embarrass me and maybe make Karmi uncomfortable."

"I am sure Karmi won't mine." Baymax blinked, raising his hand. "It is also good for family members to know what your friends are like."

Hiro groaned, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "You wouldn't understand. It's a family thing."

"Yes. But I do believe no harm will come from this one dinner. It would also make Aunt Cass happy." Baymax continued.

"That...is true." Hiro huffed, glancing away.

His eyes caught his phone, sitting on his desk. He knew he had to eventually. So, begrudgingly, he reached over and grabbed it, hopping onto his messages with Karmi.

It took some time for him to come up with said message, but once he was happy enough, he sent it.

"Hey. So, I told my Aunt you would be coming over and she's offering dinner if you're interested." - H

Biting his lip, he hoped she would say no. Then he would have a proper excuse for Cass. He really didn't want his Aunt to keep thinking he loved Karmi and didn't want her finding out. The gang was already enough of a hassle.

He noticed that Karmi had read his message and began to write a reply, though she must have been debating or asking her parents, given how long she was taking.

"I wouldn't mind it and my parents say it's alright, just as long as it doesn't get in the way of our school work." - K

He blew air out of his nose in annoyance. As much as he wished for a no, he had gotten the opposite. Still, he couldn't be mad at her, Karmi didn't even know about his worries.

"I'm gonna die…" He whispered.

"I do not detect any signs of-"

"Baymax!" Hiro yelled at him.

* * *

The school days seem to go fast as the weekend came close. Nothing major had happened, for once. But somehow Fred found out about the dinner and movie night and had told the group, so they had not shut up about it for the whole week. Luckily, Karmi didn't hear what they were saying whenever she was near. Hiro was never going to hear the end of it. He didn't even want to think what they'll ask after the weekend. Maybe something like "Did you confess to her?" or "Did you guys kiss?".

Karmi and Hiro had discussed a little more about the night, mostly so they knew which movie to finally pick and what Karmi might like for dinner. Turns out she was allergic to strawberries, which lead to a pleasant and sometimes funny conversation with Hiro about allergies since he had one towards peanuts.

Baymax had been the only one he could talk to about the situation without thinking he had a crush on Karmi. He gave his normal advice, best suited for the problem at hand. Hiro was thankful, but he knew some of it was too personal for the bot to understand. Still, he'd try and use his advice.

But the day finally came, Saturday, the day that Hiro would mark his death. It would be around 7:00 Karmi would arrive and Aunt Cass had already finished a grand but comfy dinner. Hiro had set up his computer to be as the movie screen, placed around some pillows and blankets, drinks with snacks and notes for writing their discussions and points on.

Cass was putting up the last of the chairs in the cafe when the door open, the bell above ringing. Lifting her head, she saw Karmi walk in, gazing around at her surroundings as it was her first time here.

Cass grinned and brushed her hands on her pants. "You must be Karmi, right?"

Karmi looked to the cafe owner and offered a light smile. "Ya. You're Hiro's aunt, right?

"Please, call me Cass." She held up her hand.

Karmi shook it lightly. Already she could tell this woman was a bundle of joy, yet motherly. Still, Karmi was a bit nervous. She was never good at dinners and knew nothing about Cass.

"I'll go fetch Hiro, but let me take you to the dining room first." Cass guided her up the stairs, turning off the lights in the cafe as they left.

Karmi took her seat at the dinner table as Cass went off to get her nephew. This left Karmi with a chance to look around at the place. She knew her classmate lived at a cafe, but she didn't think it would feel so warm and homely. She always suspected a more modern and techy kind of place. The walls were covered in family pictures, catching her attention. They were mostly of Tadashi, Cass and Hiro in family poses or out travelling. She did spot a few of Mochi in adorable outfits, despite his unpleasant look. But there were also a few photos with people she didn't know, specifically a couple who popped up the most. A woman who looked a lot like Cass, but with a thinner body, slightly longer hair and a differently shaped head. The other was a Japanese male who was rather tall, short black hair and glasses. A little boy, who she assumed was Tadashi, was in a couple of photos with them. Then about two or three had them and a new baby with them. It didn't take her long to know these were Hiro's parents.

She doesn't know what happened to them, barely anyone seemed to know. Even Tadashi's friends didn't even know, but she doesn't know if any of them asked him. Hiro never mentioned anything of it, only that he was extremely young when they died. Maybe one day she'd ask, but for now, she would settle for getting to know his aunt.

She heard a meow suddenly and flicked her head around, looking down at the floor. A rather fat Japanese bobtail cat was staring up at her, curious of the stranger in their house.

"And you must be Mochi…" Karmi spoke softly.

Karmi was a big animal lover, so she had no fear in holding out her hand to the cat. Besides, he looked like a marshmallow.

Mochi's ears perked up and he waddled over, sniffing her hand lightly. She didn't seem scary and smelled sweet. He meowed and rubbed his face on her hand, hoping she would scratch him.

"Awww, aren't you the cutest?" She cooed, rubbing behind his ears as he purred.

The cat's ears perked once again as Hiro and Cass came down the stairs. He bounded over to his owners, rubbing up against Cass, purring louder.

"Did my little Mochi make a new friend?" Cass gushed in baby talk.

"A nice warm welcome." Karmi smiled before her eyes looked over to Hiro.

He gave a light smile at her, waving his hand lazily. "Evening."

"Got everything set up?" She asked.

He nodded. "Got it all sorted." He strolled over and slid into his seat, followed by Cass.

Mochi followed two but hopped onto one of the benches to curl up and watch. Cass placed out the food. She had cooked spaghetti bolognese, some onigiri in the shape of pandas, lasagna and Karmi could see an apple pie in the kitchen still.

She blinked, staring at the food. "That's...a lot…"

Cass glanced at her. "Really? This is usually a normal dinner for most."

"Oh...right." Karmi mumbled. She was used to something small and very healthy, like a fancy salad. Her parents wanted to make sure she had a good diet.

"You don't have to eat all of it…" Cass reassured, not wanting to push any boundaries.

"No, no, it's fine." Karmi paused before smiling lightly. "It's kind of nice actually. Thank you."

Hiro had been watching her body langue. He was aware of her eating habits a small bit, no doubt knowing that her dinner wouldn't be much comfort food often. He held a soft expression that she didn't notice.

Cass gave them each a severing before taking her seat. Karmi was a bit hesitant but took her first bite. Her eyes widen a little. The food was amazing. It gave her a warm and cosy feeling inside. She had to hold back a gasp. No one seemed to notice, so she happily kept eating. She could see one of the big payoffs of having a family member who cooks and owns a cafe.

Hiro scooped up some spaghetti and placed it in his mouth. However, a long string of it hanged out of his mouth, so he slurped it up out of habit. It was longer than he had wanted it to be and the end of it flicked his nose.

Karmi blinked at him. He looked over at her, knowing she saw. But after a few moments of staring, they both sniggered, holding back their laughter. Cass watched them, holding back another grin.

"So Karmi." Cass spoke, catching their attention. "What do you study at SFIT?"

"Oh, I'm working on biotech. Like viruses." She briefly explained.

"Sounds exciting." She smirked. "I think Hiro could learn a thing or two about viruses, maybe then he would be careful around germs."

"Hey" Hiro pouted.

Karmi stuffled a giggle. "Trust me, I tried."

Cass winked at her. "But what do you do another than that?"

Karmi tilted her head. "I don't do any other kind of work at SFIT-"

"No, no, I mean hobbies and such." Cass explained, resting her chin on her hand.

This actually surprised Karmi. Most people ask her about her school work, plans for the future and so on, rarely anything that personal to her.

She cleared her throat. "R-right, well, ah...I like writing."

Cass beamed. "A creative mind too, huh? It's always a good way to express yourself."

Karmi stared at her before smiling. "Ya, I sometimes use it to destress myself or express myself."

"Maybe you could help me write a cookbook one day." Cass laughed lightly.

Despite how normal this must have felt for Cass, Karmi felt strangely happy. Her parents wouldn't cruel towards her creative side, sometimes they would even praise her, but most of the time they barely said anything about her, worrying more over her school work. Cass was so genuine and happy for her, curious about the other parts of Karmi already.

"So, how long have you known Hiro for?" Cass inquired.

'And here come these questions…' Hiro groaned in his head.

"Hmm, I'd say a week after he came to school…" Karmi thought back. "Professor Granville wanted us to work together."

"Hiro mentioned her had a tough start with each other." Cass replied.

Karmi and Hiro glanced at each other with an awkward expression. They both glanced away and rubbed the back of their heads.

"We're stubborn…" Hiro mumbled.

Cass smiled at them. "Well, I don't see that now."

Hiro gave his aunt a look, seeing where she was going with this conversation, so he jumped in to speak before she could say anything else.

"So Karmi, you like cats?" He looked at her.

Karmi caught on and replied back. "I like most animals, they're fascinating things."

Cass rolled her eyes softly but let them talk, sitting back and watching them. She could ask other things later.

* * *

Hiro was surprised how well dinner went. Cass seemed happy enough to just watch them eat and talk, which he was highly thankful for. She even let them take their apple pie upstairs to eat while watching the movie.

Hiro was working on getting the movie to appear on his monitor as Karmi waited on the bed. She was rubbing her hand along some of the blankets they had. Fresh and soft, tempting her to snuggle up in them.

Her eye did drift again. Hiro's room was messy, but she could tell he must have cleaned up a bit since she was coming. His desk particularly was covered in drawings, blueprints, tools and materials. Mini figures adorned his shelves. Posters and notes along his board. It let her key in on how fast his brain thinks, able to perform or plan tasks often enough, so she understood why there was a mess.

She looked away from the desk and around at the rest of the room. She saw Baymax's pod, where he was currently resting. She was able to check the time on the massive clock with a robot on it. But her eyes stopped at the other half of the room, mostly covered. But she could see a bed that looks like no one has laid on in a while, along with an organized bookcase full of books, objects and photos. It was Tadashi's half of the room.

Despite how messy the room was, Tadashi's half was clean and pristine, like no one dared to set foot in it. It told her about another part of Hiro, his love and grief for Tadashi. He was willing to do anything to keep that room the same as how his brother left it.

She was reminded of when she had comforted him. Seeing him cry just didn't feel right. He was always so happy and snarky, that it seemed like the opposite of him. So while she wasn't great at comforting others, she was willing to listen to him and help him. This is partly why she has been nicer to him. Even though she was struggling with her family, Hiro was too.

She snapped out of her thinking when Hiro hopped onto the bed next to her, having gotten the movie working and pressed play. He hadn't notice Karmi looking in a certain direction.

She glanced back at Tadashi's room, a soft look on her face. She turned away and looked at the monitor, secretly looking at Hiro in the corner of her eye. He was already eating away at his apple pie, already entranced by the film. It made her smile, grabbing her apple pie too and wrapping a blanket around herself.

Maybe it would worth coming over to the Hamada house sometime again.


	9. Cosy

**This was based off some art that 'KenKic4Ever' has been posting. I recommend you guys to check some of it out, it's adorable!**

* * *

 **Characters:**

 **Hiro X Karmi**

 **Baymax**

* * *

 **Warning: Nothing!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, sadly!**

* * *

Of all the days that Karmi couldn't ask her parents to drive her to school, it just had to be the day a massive rain storm swept into the city. So, she had no choice but to run through the weather to get to school, cause there was no way she was going to call in and excuse yourself for the day, she had work to be done. Stubborn, like most students.

Luckily, her first period was some free time, so she could work in her lab. She had some towels at her desk she could pick up along the way. But she was rather glad when stepping into school, immediately warming up from the heaters.

She noticed other students who were as unlucky as her. Most others had umbrellas or rides to miss the weather. Though, thanks to the weather and dim lighting from the outside, everyone was rather tired. Not in a rude way, but peaceful and relaxed. The rain did have a strange effect on people.

By the time Karmi reached her desk and grabbed her towels, she realised just how drenched her jumper was, impossible to dry quickly, even for the rest of the school day. Sadly, she had to remove it, wearing the short sleeved shirt underneath, arms covered in goosebumps and open to the air. She dumped her jumper at her desk by the closet heater, in hopes it would dry later or before she went home.

For now, she would head to her bio lab and do research on her viruses, that would lighten her mood. But on her way, a sudden robotic voice spoke up behind her, scaring her in surprise.

"Your body temperatures are low, Karmi." Baymax waddled over to her.

She flicked around, wet ponytail slapping against her shoulder. "Baymax?"

Glancing around, she didn't see Hiro nearby. Strange, since Baymax was almost always with him or one of his friends.

"You are wet, I presume you have been in the rain." Baymax scanned over her.

She rubbed the back of her head. "Ya...had to get to school through the rain."

"That is highly recommended." Baymax pointed out. "It can lower your normal body temperatures."

"I wasn't intended for that, just had no way else to get here." She rubbed her arms which head under the towel wrapped over her.

"Allow me to warm you up." Baymax leaned in.

Her eyes widened, blinking and pulling her head back. "What are you-?"

Baymax cut her off, pulling her into a hug and heating up his body. It was obvious to say that Karmi has never experienced this, much less a normal hug from Baymax. She understands it is the bot's job and programming, but she still needed a moment to relay over what is happening. She wanted to pull away and decline the offer, afraid someone might see them or feeling more uncomfortable. But she couldn't deny her body's want for the heat, already warming up and relaxing, no longer being pricked by the cold water down her body.

She lifted her head and glanced up at Baymax. "Ah...thanks…" She still felt awkward.

"It is quite alright." Baymax replied, patting her head lightly.

Karmi closed her eyes for a moment, sensing the warmth flow through her body, along with how surprisingly soft Baymax was. She always thought he would feel like a balloon when rubbing against, but she felt like she could just fall asleep like this. However, her eyes snapped open when hearing a voice come into the hall.

"Baymax, there you are!" Hiro called out, jogging over to his friend.

Baymax didn't release Karmi, rather turning his head to look at the boy. "Hiro."

Hiro gave a look. "You have to stop doing-" He suddenly noticed the orange and yellow colours cuddled against Baymax. "Karmi?"

Karmi stood there, frozen as she felt a small blush grow across her face. She needed a moment to clear her throat, sliding away from Baymax and standing unusually straight.

"Y-ya." She mumbled.

He hands slid into his pockets to rest. "Why were you hugging Baymax?"

She waved her hands. "I wasn't! He just came up to me and hugged me out of nowhere."

Hiro raised a confused brow and looked to his companion. He knew Baymax loved hugs, but this was odd.

"She had been running in the rain, I was providing warmth to help dry her and keep her warm." Baymax explained himself.

Hiro blinked and looked back at Karmi. "You ran here?...In this weather?"

Karmi huffed and glanced away. "I didn't want to…"

"Geez. That explains the wet clothes and hair." Hiro glanced her up and down.

Karmi glared at him, lightly. He raised his hands, not meaning any offence. He easily picked up on the note she was not in a good mood.

"If it helps, you can keep using Baymax for as long as you need." Hiro gestured to the bot.

"...You wouldn't mind?" Karmi raised a brow, a little unsure.

Hiro shrugged. "Ya. It's his job after all and it helps to give him experience." He rubbed the back of his head, looking at her. "Besides, you do need it…"

She sighed and rubbed her arms again. "You've got me there…"

It suddenly hit him. "Where's your jumper?"

She looked back up at him, glancing at her arms. "Oh...too wet."

"Won't you get cold again?" Hiro questioned.

She waved her hand. "There are heaters and you're letting me borrow Baymax."

"Still…" He didn't sound convinced. His brows furrowed as he thought for a moment. He slipped his arms out of his jacket before holding it out to Karmi.

Her eyes lowered to it, staring with a perplexed expression. She didn't under the gesture, so Hiro rolled his eyes and stepped over, slipping through her arms so she was wearing it.

"What are you doing?" Karmi questioned.

"Letting you borrow my jacket, what does it look like?" Hiro snarked lightly.

"W-what? No, it's fine, you don't have it." Karmi sputtered.

Hiro waved his hand, stepping back to Baymax. "I insist. Besides, I don't mind the cold."

Hiro actually preferred the cold over the heat. He was much more a winter's person, plus he always got sunburn easily and struggled to cool down. So he would be fine for the day.

"Just return it when you can." He turned but paused, glancing back at her. "But ah...don't get any viruses on it, please."

And with that, without letting her speak, he wandered off, leaving Baymax with her. She just stared in disbelief, unable to think of the right words to say. This has never happened to her before. The idea of sharing any form of clothing was alien to her.

"Are you ok, Karmi?" Baymax questioned her.

She snapped out of her daze, looking up at him with a dumbfounded expression. "...Just...why?"

"Why, what?" Baymax blinked, tilting his head.

"Being so friendly, giving me you and his jacket! I don't understand, I would be fine." Karmi argued. She didn't need help. As she said, the school had speakers and towels. It's not like she would freeze to death suddenly.

"He just wants to make sure you are alright, it is what friends do." Baymax explained to her.

"...Friends…" Her eyes drifted down to the floor.

Yes, there was no denying the two were getting closer, but Karmi still had problems with trust and neither of them have declared they were friends. Then again, she didn't know if people just phased into the relationship or ask each other. She had to get used to their views changing, how they were becoming nicer and tolerating each other. Hiro had the changed the most when she looks at it. Always there and ready to help her, even if they have argued or she had said something snarky at him. She just didn't know how to think.

"Mmh...let's just head to the lab." Karmi mumbled.

Baymax nodded and turned. "Very well." He began waddling towards the lab, Karmi following behind.

She kept close behind the bot, still deeply thinking to herself. Strange how a simple jacket suddenly got her whined up. But she was feeling another warmth because of it, one within. It was peaceful, relaxing, even cosy.

She brushed a hand against one of the sleeves. The jacket had been worn over the years, but still in nice condition and taken care of with much love. She was surprised by the scent. It was a mixture of smells you'd find when working with mechanics and labs, but it was mostly blocked out by the smell of the bakery and what she suspected was Mochi. Pretty much Hiro's scent.

She couldn't help the smile that curled on her face, snuggling into the jacket. She hoped wouldn't mind her secretly keeping it a bit longer than she would actually need it for.


	10. Merry Christmas

**Shout out to my friend Oramagic for inspiring me on some of these stories (Along with the fact she wanted a shoutout, haha)**

 **Sorry if this one seems rushed, I wanted to get it out before Christmas. Also, I'm starting to realise that what I'm writing will not match what will happen in the next season, sadly. Still,** I'mma **keep writing my stories.**

 **I've also written a few headcanons of Hiro's family, even his parents, in this story. Shout out to anyone who can guess what story I reference with his parents.**

 **Merry Christmas to you all!**

* * *

 **Characters:**

 **Hiro X Karmi**

 **Honey Lemon, Fred, Wasabi, Gogo and Baymax**

 **Aunt Cass**

* * *

 **Warning: nothing!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, sadly!**

* * *

Hopping down from the chair, Hiro stepped back to get a good look of the Christmas tree he had been decorating. Cass had set it up in the morning for him to finish after school, and he was pretty pleased with himself. A regular tree but covered in lights and nearly all the ornaments could glow or displayed something futuristic, a couple were even made by Hiro and Tadashi. The star on top was made together, a proud item of the family.

Hiro glanced up at it with a soft look. First Christmas without Tadashi, and it would be a painful thought in the back of his mind. But after pushing through with Halloween, he learned to enjoy the holidays without him, cherishing his memories. Plus, he didn't have to fear about Obake tricking him again, now that he's gone. But it didn't stop the sigh coming from his mouth, his eyes looking down as he thought about his brother.

Cass had strolled in was he was lost in thoughts, carrying in a tower of presents. She dumped them by the tree, startling Hiro.

"I think that's all of them…" Cass brushed her hands together.

Hiro smirked. Cass and him always did go crazy with gift giving for each other and Mochi. He was aware that some gifts were from relatives, even if he hadn't seen them in years. His family was rather distant. He had no clue why, as Tadashi and Cass never explained when he asked. Over time, he thinks it had to do with his parent's deaths. He'd learnt that his mother's side of the family and father's side of the family didn't get along with each other, but the death of the two would have been the final straw. They would try and stay in touch, but they always seemed busy. Hiro also suspected that Cass could never stand them after what happened, not wanting the family rivalry affecting their lives.

Hiro gave up questioning about it, getting used to the small family he only knew. He wasn't even aware of how many aunts, uncles, cousins, and so on, he had. Then again, what he did know, he didn't think they'd like him much. Would have adored Tadashi though.

"Mochiiii" Cass whined, looking down at the cat who was tangled in ribbons.

Hiro snickered and knelt down with her, helping to free Mochi from his mess.

He looked at his Aunt. "Have you got the gang's presents? I'm giving mine tomorrow."

She nodded lightly. "I'll drop them off with her tomorrow."

"Gonna be a busy Christmas, huh?" Hiro laughed softly.

She smiled warmly at her nephew. "Especially for you and your friends." She suddenly grinned. "Which reminds me, they should come over for dinner and hot chocolate."

"I think they'll like that." Hiro hummed, scratching Mochi on the belly.

* * *

The next day, at school, the gang awaited Hiro in their lab. He was a little late but they didn't worry, it was the holidays. Honey was putting some decorations around her desk, along with giving each of her friends a Christmas themed chibi sticker to wear. Fred wore his proudly on his beanie, lugging around in a bean bag. Wasabi placed it on his shirt in a reasonable placement, cleaning up his desk once again. Gogo reluctantly accepted the sticker, putting it on one of her helmets, looking through her checklist.

The door swung open as Baymax waddled in, but he was different. He wore a Santa outfit, including a fake beard and Christmas hat, carrying a bag over his shoulder, there were even some Christmas lights around his hat. He waddled in, waving to everyone.

"Ho, Ho, Ho." He recited.

Honey awed, pulling out her phone to get some pictures, the others laughed lightly or smiled. Hiro followed in behind, grinning.

"I take it you like Santa Baymax?" He glanced at them all, chuckling.

"Fitting." Gogo approved, standing from her seat.

"Well, it's not just for show." He waved to Baymax.

The bot nodded and placed down the bag, opening it to reveal some presents. Fred was the first to dash over, jumping up and down in joy. Hiro figured he'd be the first, already reaching in for his gift.

"Aw, Hiro." Honey cooed, leaving her desk to join them.

Hiro handed Fred a gift, the older boy immediately ripping through the wrapping. It was hard to get the rich kid a gift, knowing he owned everything you could buy, but that meant making something would be easier. Fred gasped at his gift, seeing that Hiro had made him a personal kaiju action figure of Fred's own design he once showed the small boy.

"Yes! One of a kind as well!" He hugged the box, already thinking about how he would gloat about this to Richardson. "Thanks, little man."

"For Honey." Hiro informed, pulling out the brightly coloured wrapped gift, holding it out.

Honey gave a sweet smile as she took it. The gift was soft, so it would most likely be a form of clothing or toy. Inside was a winter hat that looked like a flamingo, it's legs dangling off the side to be used as a way to tie the hat to her head. It was pretty adorable.

"Sooo cuteee." She nearly squealed, bending down and hugging Hiro briefly.

Hiro smiled warmly before picking up another present. "Gogo!" He called out, tossing it over.

She easily caught it, her bubble gum popping as she unwrapped the gift. It was a holder with many tools she's been meaning to replace, but never got enough money for. She smirked lightly and gave him a thumbs up.

He took out the final gift, wandering over to Wasabi's desk and gently placing it down, making sure not to bump anything out of place.

"Thank you, Hiro." Wasabi nodded at him, looking delighted.

The man carefully unwrapped the gift, somehow not tearing it. He squealed behind his gasp, taking out a box. "The new Duster 760!"

Hiro held back an eye roll. Cleaning products always made Wasabi happy.

Honey piped in. "I wish I could have brought my gift for you."

He waved his hand. "It's fine, you can do it later." Which reminded him. "Actually, Aunt Cass was wondering if you'd guys like to come to dinner tomorrow? She'll be making some special treats and hot chocolate."

"Oh, oh! We could watch some Christmas movies." Fred beamed. "That always gets me in the mood."

"Sounds like a pyjama mood." Honey giggled, her eyes widening. "Maybe it could be a sleepover." She looked to Hiro. "If you and Cass don't mind."

Hiro thought over it. He had never had a sleepover before, but the way they were describing it and the ideas they had, it was very tempted. "I'll ask her, but I think that'll be fun."

"Ehhh…" Gogo glanced away. She huffed and crossed her arms. "Alright, I could handle it. Plus, free hot chocolate." It was her weakness, sadly.

"I have some movie ideas." Wasabi chimed in.

Baymax raised a finger. "A sleepover is a good way for friends to get closer."

Hiro patted his belly. "I'm sure it will, buddy."

* * *

Classes had been quite relaxing, even Granville had gotten into the holiday mood. The place was covered in decorations and some people had been planning Christmas parties already. Baymax followed Hiro around, still in his Santa outfit. Everyone thought it was hilarious but wholesome.

The bell rang and students flocked out of class for lunch. Karmi slipped past some people. She glanced back into class, seeing Hiro walk up to Granville and taking out a gift from Baymax's sack and holding it out.

Granville blinked, a little surprised but she took it. Inside was the new book in a series she was reading. Hiro had noticed her reading it when she was on break. She gave a light chuckle and thanked him, hoping his holidays will be peaceful. He rubbed the back of his head, sheepishly grinning. She knew about their identity, so there was a hidden meaning there. He too wished that no major crooks or crimes pop up.

Karmi turned away, about to head out when she heard Hiro call out to her. He jogged out of the class as she flipped back to face him.

"Here." He held out a gift.

Her eyes widened slightly, eyes drifting down. The warm feeling she felt from the gift he gave on her birthday came back. She smiled tenderly and took it from his hands.

"Thanks. But ah...I don't have anything for you." She admitted.

He shrugged. "It's fine. You don't have to, though there is still time."

"Hmmm, I'll think about it." She smirked. "Any plans for the holidays?"

"I mostly spend it with Aunt Cass, doing some Christmas traditions." He mused.

"Oh?" She tilted her head. "Like what?"

"Would you believe that baking is one?" He joked, chuckling.

"Very believable." She snorted, but kept her smirk.

"You?" the boy inquired.

She thought about her plans and schedule before replying. "Some traditions and plans, but nothing much really. Normally peaceful for me."

Hiro paused, thinking as his brows furrowed lightly. "Anything planned tomorrow?"

"No, why?" She questioned.

"My friends and I are going to have a Christmas sleepover tomorrow. You should join us." He grinned. "There'll be dinner, hot chocolate, movies, games and stories maybe."

Karmi froze up a little. Unlike Hiro, she had been to one sleepover, but it hadn't gone well and Karmi always tried to forget about it. "I don't know...I might ruin it or be awkward."

Hiro gave a sympathetic look, understanding her introverted side was coming through. "You don't have to, but I think it would help you. Plus, we wouldn't do anything mean to you." He gave a reassuring smile. "Can even ditch to my room if you need a breather."

She punched his shoulder lightly. "Your room is stuffy, no way I could breathe in there." Pulling her arm back, she thought over it.

"Ha, ha." The black haired boy huffed. "But I promise it'll be fine."

"...You sure?" She quavered in her tone of voice.

He simply nodded, giving her a moment to think over it. She knew they wouldn't do anything cruel. If she felt she couldn't stay, she'd probably call her parents anyway. She also needed to start stepping out of her comfort zone if she was ever to start feeling better about herself. A night like this could help, and all the offerings were tempting.

"I'll ask my parents first, but I suppose I'll go." She finally agreed.

Hiro grinned, bright white teeth shining. "Great! I'll text you the time and date later." He shrugged his backpack back up his arm, as it was slipping off. "Enjoy the gift." He waved as he wandered off with Baymax.

Karmi's eyes followed him as he left, her expression was unsure. Looking down at her hands, she carefully opened the unexpected gift. Much to her surprise, it was a plushie based on a red blood cell, but it had chibi blushing face at the bottom of it. She wasn't sure if Hiro knew but she had a collection of plushies and loved them all.

She smiled lightly, brushing a hand over it to feel how soft it was, knowing how well it'll fit in with her collection. The fact he found a plush that related to her work was a sweet gesture and clued her in and how much thought he put into his gifts.

She paused, frowning to herself in concern. She had no idea what to get him in return. His hobbies were all over the place, the only specific one she could easily think of was robotics. She could only pray she wouldn't have a present picking panic at the last minute.

Her eyes lifted, slowing look back at Granville's class. An idea was forming in her head.

* * *

When six o'clock rolled around, Gogo and Fred were the first to arrive. Gogo was always punctual, while Fred had the best transport. Cass had almost finished the sleepover baking, so they all talked near the kitchen with Hiro.

Eventually, Honey and Wasabi arrived, sharing the same ride since Honey didn't have a car, also not wanting to ride on Gogo's motorbike. Out of everyone, Honey was going full on with the Christmas sleepover spirit, wearing a new outfit she made with many Christmas themes, along with the pyjamas she made. Gogo had rolled her eyes but didn't say anything.

"When do you want to open presents?" Fred piped in, holding his close to his chest.

"When everyone's here. Still waiting on Karmi." Hiro informed, glancing at the clock briefly.

Honey cooed, holding her hands together. "You two have grown so close."

Hiro blinked and waved his hands lightly. "We're not that close, still working out some issues."

Gogo's bubble gum popped before she pulled it back into her mouth. "Nothing more than that?"

Hiro gave a look, knowing what they were hinting at. "Yes...and we are not talking about that again."

Gogo titled her head to the side. "Fine, fine."

Cass called out from the kitchen. "Hiro!"

Hiro brows raised before he called back. "Ya?" He leaned over to see her peering out the window.

"Karmi's here, her car just pulled in." Cass notified her nephew, quickly hopping back to the oven to take out the brownies.

Hiro grinned and sped walked down to the cafe, the other following behind. They spotted a copper coloured car parked outside, Karmi slipping out of it and saying goodbye to her parents. Hiro does notice the two adults glancing around the street and at the cafe, inspecting the area. He wasn't sure if it was because they were worried or curious about the area, maybe both.

They said goodbye to their daughter before driving off and vanishing. Karmi had watched them leave until they left her sight. She took a deep breath, holding her bag tightly. She was nervous but determined to have a good time. She wasn't going to chicken out because of her social anxiety once again.

She heard the bell above the cafe door ring, turning to see Hiro holding the door open for her. They both gave each other a greeting with a smile.

"Lucky last." Hiro teased.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes but entered. "Took a bit of convincing."

The moment she entered, she felt that warmth of such a friendly place again, comforting her and easing her stress. She doesn't know what it was about the Hamada household, it was just so family friendly and cosy to her.

Fred slide over from the group. "Good holidays to you, Karmi!"

She jumped back a bit, snapping out of her thoughts. Gogo walked up behind Fred and slapped the back of his head. He let out a yelp and rubbed the back of his head.

"Ignore him." Gogo advised.

Honey and Wasabi joined them, both smiling down at Karmi and waving lightly. Karmi find herself feeling shy and uncomfortable suddenly, but she didn't move or say anything.

Honey held her hands together. "Sorry about that...But we're glad you could make it."

"Y-ya, I mean, wouldn't turn down an offer on Cass's food." Karmi collected her voice, laughing shyly at the end of her sentence.

Hiro snorted. "You really just missed Mochi"

Karmi smirked at him. "Maybeeee."

Honey giggled. "No one can resist."

"So ah...where do I put this?" Karmi pulled out a wrapped gift.

Hiro's eyes widen a little, he wasn't expecting her to bring a gift, she said she didn't have one for him before. Still, he wasn't going to reject a gift.

"Upstairs. I'll show you the tree." Hiro shrugged at the door, guiding her.

The others stayed behind a moment, watching the two youngest members walking off and talking.

Gogo smirked, taking notice of something. "Seems she's comfortable around him…"

"Not so shy now." Wasabi chuckled lightly, shaking his head.

Fred wiggled his eyebrows, his predictions were coming true and everyone knew it. At least this time, it wasn't something stupid or dangerous, might end up creating something beautiful.

* * *

The moment Cass had put down the food, everyone dug in. It was a Christmas feast worthy for kings and queens. Desert was some of the best, given it was Cass's specialities. She always put her best forth during these days.

They mostly talked over dinner, a majority of the conversations were around school and looking back on some memories from it. Karmi got a moment to herself when Fred was talking about something to do with a comic book called issues 188. She was surprised by what this group got up to. Yes, she knew they were strange and upbeat, getting into trouble often, but nothing like this. Her favourite story so far was when Hiro, Fred and Baymax got lost in the woods. Despite feeling a little left out, she couldn't help but laugh along and listen, even sharing some her biotech mishaps.

Once dinner was over, the gang all switched into their pyjamas, taking over the living room where all their beds were. Cass had snuck off to her room, leaving them be, but did take Mochi with her.

They had given Hiro his gifts from them. Honey Lemon had gotten him a plushie of Baymax she made, which everyone adored. Wasabi's gift was a new keyboard and mouse set. Fred had given him a kaiju video game, mostly so Hiro could battle him online. Gogo roller blades, hoping for once someone would skate with her.

However, when it had come to Karmi's gift, she had handed it over. Before he could open it, she told him to wait until he was alone.

"Just wait, ok? Best to see it when you're alone." Was all she said.

It confused everyone, but no one questioned, well, Fred was but Gogo stopped him. Hiro just assumed she would be embarrassed for the others to see what she got him, so he left it for now.

They wasted some time by playing two movies, the first was The Nightmare Before Christmas and then Arthur's Christmas. But they eventually drifted into relaxation, laying about and talking softly among each other. Fred had accidentally started a game where they'd go around in a circle, asking questions that everyone had to answer.

Gogo laid on her side, thinking for a question to ask. "Hmm, what fictional characters do you think you are most like?"

Fred grinned, holding his knees. "Dude, I'm totally Captain Fancy."

Hiro laid on his back, hands crossed behind his head as he looked up. "Nah, you remind me of Sid from Ice Age."

Fred paused. "I can see that…"

Honey rested against the wall. "People say I'm like Rapunzel."

Wasabi chuckled, resting against the couch. "Now I can see that."

"What about me?" Gogo asked, not sure she's like.

Fred smirked. "Come on, you're basically Mandy from Grim Adventures."

She raised a brow at him. "What's that suppose to mean?"

His face fell. "Well ah...you know."

Karmi whispered to him. "Maybe want to keep quiet."

Fred shuffled back slightly as everyone laughed lightly. Gogo rolled her eyes but didn't press on.

Hiro thought for a moment. "You know, Wasabi kind of reminds me of Professor Utonium."

Fred lifted his head up, forgetting his terror from a minute ago. "You mean the dad from Powerpuff Girls?"

"Ya, I mean he's smart, fatherly, likes things organized and a bit of a goof without trying." Hiro added on.

Honey giggled. "That does sound like him."

Wasabi shook his head but smiled. "Alright, alright."

"What about these two?" Gogo gestured to Karmi and Hiro with her chin.

Hiro shrugged while Karmi glanced around, trying to think of someone.

Honey hopped a little. "Oh, oh! Hiro is definitely like Hiccup. Think about it, small, smart, cute, determined-"

"Sassy and sarcastic." Gogo piped in.

"Oh! Has a close companion!" Fred called out.

"I'm not that small!" Hiro huffed, pulling a face. "You're lucky I like the character."

Everyone just snickered, it was often fun to whined up the poor boy. It was even one of tadashi's past times.

"What about me?" Karmi chimed in, tapping her slippers together.

They all thought to themselves, relaying characters in their head. Karmi was a tough one, stumping nearly all of them. Sadly, Fred thought of something.

"Helga!" He suddenly yelled.

Everyone looked to him, blinking in confusion.

"You know, from Hey Arnold." He explained.

"Oh, she is not like her." Gogo frowned at him.

"Why not? Seems a little harsh but means well, wanting friends, sticks close to her hobbies, has a crush on-" He didn't finish has Gogo slapped a hand over his mouth.

Hiro's eyes were wide, knowing exactly where Fred was going with his train of words. Karmi was only confused. She agreed with some of those traits, but the last one stumped her. They were lucky she didn't question it before Honey joined in.

"My turn!" She smiled awkwardly, trying to move on from that odd situation. "What is the most romantic thing you've ever seen? Has to be real."

Gogo gave Fred a look to keep quiet about those certain thoughts. She pulled away and laid back down. "I'd say the cheesiest I've seen was one of my cousins proposing during a family vacation."

"Daw." Honey cooed. "At one of my proms, I had some other friends. One of them had a crush on another girl but didn't say anything. Some guy harassed her at one point though and her crush walked over, saving her and kissing her." She nearly squealed. "It was just so cute, they spent the rest of the night together."

Fred sighed dreamily. "Young love."

Wasabi smiled back on a fond memory. "My family got together to help one of my aunts reveal she was pregnant to her partner. It was one of the best days of my life to help those two."

Fred waved his hands around as he talked. "My parents once spent a day in disguises, spending a day in the city without being recognized, living like normal citazions. They were just so happy."

Karmi looked over her memories, one popping up that made her laugh to herself. "I once saw a guy in an art class at my old school walking over to his crush. He wanted to tell her he liked her, but he ended up spilling paint on her. He looked scared she would be mad, but she started a paint fight with him and the whole class for fun."

Hiro was quiet, staring at the roofs. Everyone looked over to him, puzzled.

"Hiro?" Karmi tilted her head."

"...I didn't see mine, but I know it's real." He glanced at Honey.

"That fine." She gave him a reassuring smile.

He looked back at the roof, beginning to tell his story. "Aunt Cass told me about this, but once in the city, there were two people who met on a normal day. A man was standing by the train, ready for another boring day at work when this lady comes to the train. They were aware of one another, but didn't say anything. A gust of wind suddenly blew past thanks to a train, causing one of the guy's papers to smack into her face. He panicked and took it back, but she was trying to hold back laughter, seeing her lipstick stained his paper. He laughed too, but suddenly saw her vanish onto the train. Despite those few moments of not saying anything, he couldn't forget her."

Everyone gazed at him, already deep within the story. Some leaned in a little, eager to hear more.

Hiro noted this and continued. "He got to work and began his day, that woman still stuck in his mind. But, to his surprise and luck, he saw her through the window in the building across the street. She appeared to be having an interview. He tried to get her attetion but failed in doing so, also getting a scolding from his managers. That was when he came up with another idea. One by one, he used his papers to make aeroplanes, tossing them to her and trying to get her attention. However it never seemed to work, it'd hit a wall, fall into the wrong window, the wind would take it away." He laughed lightly. "Apparently he even hit a bird with one."

This earned Hiro a couple of quiets snickers and chuckles from everyone. He smiled warmly to himself, closing his eyes briefly.

"And soon he ran out of paper. Everyone in the office was shocked by his actions, his managers demanding he went back to work. But there was one last hope, he still had the paper with her lipstick on it. He didn't want to lose it, but he felt he had no choice. So he made one last one, stood at the window...but a gust of wind blew it out of his hands before he could throw it.

Everyone's eyes widen a little, not expecting that outcome and feeling sorry for this person. But this hooked them in more, they knew their had to be a happy ending.

"His last chance was gone, but he saw she was leaving. His managers once again demanded he went back to work, but he already made up his mind. He dashed out of his office and down to the streets. He needed to find her before she vanished back into the city. He ran as fast as he can, but even then he was unlucky. She was already gone and he lost hope in seeing her again. He did find the paper with her lipstick on it, but he was angry, feeling betrayed by the world and sent it flying away and trudged his way home." Hiro paused, not sure how to word what happened next. "...it was strange but...suddenly all the paper aeroplanes he made appeared, minus the lipstick one, guiding him and taking him somewhere. Meanwhile, the last one landed near the woman. She recognized it and tried to catch it, but it fluttering around, guding her too. Somehow, just somehow, the pieces of papers pulling them onto the trains and brought the two together. The man had another chance and took it, finally talking to her…" Hiro ended the story, looking to the others.

They looked in awe, curiosity and with warm expressions. It was like nothing they'd ever heard before.

"Hiro, how did Cass now this story?" Honey asked softly, still dreaming the story in her head.

The boy chuckled lightly and quietly. He closed his eyes once more. "That's how my parents met." He revealed.

Fred gasped to himself, thinking about the sudden plot twist. They others also held fond and surprised expressions.

"Oh, Hiro." Honey sighed softly, smiling at him.

"It was crazy to hear, yet it just always stuck with me…" Hiro reflected over his words. He didn't remember his parents personally, but their stories always amazed him.

"They seemed like great people…" Karmi hummed.

Hiro looked to her. "I didn't know them long, but everyone said they were." He smiled kindly. "Stories like that help me remember them."

Her eyes looked to him, almost in a shocked and sad tone. It would have been hard not knowing your parents, but even then you'd have a hard time knowing how you felt about someone you don't remember. But the way he accepted it and used others memories to help, it was sweet. She tilted her head and gave him a soft smile.

"Well it was lucky those papers brought them together." She lightly nudged him with her shoulder. "Or else we wouldn't have your loud mouth around."

"Always circle it back to me?" Hiro gave her a look but smirked, showing teeth.

Honey rested her back against the wall again. "It interesting how some stories sound like a fairy tale or a fable, but the ones that are real just make them all the more special."

"Some of the best stories." Fred chimed in.

Hiro gazed over his friends, remembering their stories together. They were a superhero team, something that comes straight out of fiction. Yet here they were. His eyes then looked to Karmi. Their story wasn't out of the ordinary, but that didn't make it any less special. Theirs was taking time and was something different for Hiro to experience. But deep down, he was glad how it was going, for both him and Karmi. He looked back at the roof. "...Ya...they are."

The night carried out as the group spent it together, becoming even closer. Eventually, the time did come that they all drifted to sleep, falling into their dreams.

* * *

Hiro had finally cleaned up the last bits of mess from the sleepover, carrying the spare blankets back to his room. Things had been quiet since everyone went home, but it was needed.

Dumping the blankets on his bed, he was preparing to fold them when his eyes caught something. Looking at his desk, he saw Karmi's gift. He had completely forgotten and left it there.

Feeling a little guilty, he rubbed the back of his head and picked it up. It was long and flat under the wrapping. He thought it could have been a book, but it was hard and might have been made of plastic or wood. He started ripping the paper off, slowly sliding out the gift.

It was a picture of a boy in a frame, but it took him a moment to realise what it was about. It dawned on him that this boy was Tadashi. His eyes scanned down to the bottom, seeing writing over some silver metal.

"Tadashi Hamada - SFIT Juinor"

He finally made sense. This would have been his first school photo there, the day he joined SFIT. He looked slightly younger, but many of his features stood out. Clean, sharp and friendly. His was pure, brain most likely filled with a thousand ideas on how to help people. The pride of the school and the teachers. The best big brother in the world…

He lifted a hand slowly, brushing against the picture. His eyes stared deeply at it. He had never seen this picture before. The fact Karmi somehow convinced the school to let him have it, it surprised him how far she went with his gift.

And yet, it's what a gift should be. Full of love and meaning, made to be personal to the person and stick with them. Something to add to his memories of his brother was definitely that.

Hiro laughed softly, holding back tears and holding the picture close. He knew he had been ignoring the feeling of missing his brother, being his first Christmas without him. But he felt it was ok to think about it now, holding something of him made him feel better.

"...Merry Christmas...Karmi…" Hiro whispered to himself.


	11. Night Talk

**I feel so bad for leaving you all hanging. I am so sorry but after christmas, I had a bit of a falling out with writing and so on. I'm not often in the best of moods lately so it took a lot to just write this small story. I hope you all can understand.**

 **But I am happy to see how many like these stories, as every review makes me smile. I will try my best to keep writing. Also, I am aware season 2 is coming out soon, so I know a lot of my stories about these two will not be relevant or make sense to whatever they have planned, but eh, who cares? That's the point of fanfiction!**

* * *

 **Characters:**

 **Hiro X Karmi**

 **A little bit of good old Baymax**

* * *

 **Warning: nothing!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, sadly!**

* * *

With the hero business always being exciting, over the top, dangerous and bombarding, it's times like these that Hiro could always appreciate. Flying on the back of Baymax, gazing out at his home city that shone in the dark night, radiating a grand display of colours, people spending their nights, hustling around the city. It was the kind of place that never slept, something was always happening. At least high in the sky, it wasn't so loud. Despite being a city boy, it was relaxing to the boy.

"I am pleased to sense how relaxed you are." His armoured marshmallow spoke.

Hiro let out a quiet and warm laugh, patting the bot's head. "Guess I keep forgetting how it feels."

"Which is why I always recommend taking a break from school work and fighting crime. The human body can not deal with stress and exhaustion forever." Baymax explained.

Hiro shook his head. He knew Baymax was right, but it was never that simple. He didn't argue though, knowing the bot meant well. Besides, the others on the team seemed like they needed it too, which is why Hiro said he'd do a solo run tonight unless he needed them, then he'd call them up. But it didn't seem like they'd be needing them tonight.

He tapped Baymax's shoulder. "Let's fly a little closer to the buildings, get a better look."

Without another word, Baymax adjusted his thrusters and they dived down, swirling up as they neared the ground and fly past buildings. Hiro noted everything he saw, but nothing negative popped up. He did notice some people in awe at them, especially people they passed by through their windows. He saw he saw a young kid take a picture of them as they flew by. It made him smile.

They started coming up to the regular neighbourhoods, full of simple homes, nothing techy like the rest of the city. It was a nice neighbourhood, not a lot of problems stir up here. But it was well known to Hiro, given his friendly rival lived around here.

He had seem Karmi's house when he saved her from Goodluck alley, though in truth she had never invited him over. There were multiple reasons he could think, mostly her parents. He couldn't blame her, besides, he was sure one day he could come over, maybe even finally introduce himself to her parents.

But speaking of Karmi. Hiro was alerted by Baymax.

"Karmi is on her roof, a dangerous position to be in. You can get multiple injuries if you are not careful." Baymax noted, slowing down his thrusters.

Hiro blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. "Wait, what?"

Baymax looked at Karmi's house just down the street. Hiro followed his gaze, and sure enough, Karmi was sitting on the roof, who bright jumper sticking out in the dark night, shining from the light bleeding out of her bedroom window. She appeared to be gazing up at the night sky, a calm expression on her face.

Hiro was about to call out to her but bit his tongue to stop himself. He wasn't Hiro right now, he was 'Captain Cutie'. She would probably freak out over him or panic, which is not what he wanted to do. He wasn't he should even talk to her, because if she is having a problem, he can't talk to her in a way that he knows her, could end up slipping up and revealing his identity.

He could always ask her at school tomorrow. But then how would he explain how he saw her on her roof, they didn't even live near each other. It was obvious he should just guide Baymax away and forget about it. But he couldn't get himself to do it. No, he wasn't that cruel and even if he was Hiro right now, that part of him is still in him. He was her friend after all. A hero helps anyone anyway, no matter how small the problem is, even emotional problems.

Sighing to himself, he tapped Baymax with a soft expression on his face. Baymax simply nodded, understanding what his companion was asking for him to do.

Karmi hugged her knees closer, lifting her blanket back over her shoulders. She wasn't a fan of the cold, but sometimes the crisp and fresh air was all she needed to calm herself. One of her relatives had been staying over, Aunt Roza, a very persistent and opinionated woman. Karmi didn't hate her, they had some common interests, but sometimes her Aunt was a bit much. The two had gotten into a bit of a heated argument about some harsh topics during dinner. Like always, her parents sided with her Aunt and told Karmi to behave, mostly so they could stop the arguing. They had just left after dinner to take Roza to the airport, while Karmi hid away in her room and refused to come with them, before making her way onto the roof.

She was about to go back inside, the cold finally starting to bother her, when she heard a voice speak up behind her after they cleared their throat.

"You ok, miss?" Hiro spoke up.

Karmi squeaked as she held back a shriek of fright. She flicked her head around, blushing and pulling on her blanket tightly. How did she not see him?

"C-Captain Cutie?" She sputtered, trying to find her voice.

Hiro simply smiled and nodded. "Ah, Karmi. It's you."

Karmi blinked before looking away shyly, a cute smile creeping onto her face. 'He remembers me!' She screamed in her head. She looked back at him. "B-but how are you?..."

Hiro raised a hand and gestured to her backyard. She looked over and saw Red Panda wandering around, probably scanning the flowers or something. She must have been in deep thought not to hear the robot landing in her garden.

Hiro cleared his throat again, this time to get her attention. "Mind if I take a seat?"

Karmi, unable to stop herself from blushing, spoke. "A-ah, sure"

Hiro stepped over and sat next to her, dangling his legs over the roof's edge. Baymax looked up at them, noticing Hiro's position.

"Do not fall." He stated.

"I know, buddy." Hiro called down to him, watching as his friend went back to the garden.

Karmi gazed at him, many questions running through her mind. What could she say? Why was he here? Did he want something? Unfortunately, her mouth spoke before her brain properly comprehend what to say. "Do you want my blanket!?" She yelped.

Hiro's eyes widen a little, looking at her in confusion, not sure how to respond. Karmi's flustered, wanting to hit herself. What was it about having crushing that made your brain melt? But instead of getting a bad reaction, she heard him chuckle.

Hiro tapped his shoulder pad. "Nah, the suit keeps him warm."

"...Right...Sorry…" She glanced away, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Hiro placed his hands down on the roof, resting on them as he leaned back a bit. He looked her up and down, noting her body language. He didn't know how to appreciate this situation, so he just winged it. "Was patrolling and noticed her out here alone. You know only brooding anime teens suit the moping around on the roof." He teased, smirking.

Karmi giggled lightly and rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't call it that…"

"I know angst when I see it." Hiro added, shuffling ever so slightly near her. "Want to tell me what's wrong?"

Karmi bit the inside of her cheek. She wanted to get this off her shoulders, but not to her crush and superhero of the city. "It's not worth your time, I think the city needs you more."

"Nothing's going on, I've got free time. It just looked like you needed someone to talk to…" Hiro explained, his joking attitude changing to a calm and friendly one.

"Really, it's nothing...just dumb family things." Karmi assured, not understand why he would bother with such a tiny problem.

Hiro was going to ask again, but knew he had to act differently, he couldn't be his normal self right now. "Hmmm, alright. But I'm sure you don't want to be alone right now, so you wouldn't say no to me sitting with you for a bit?"

Karmi paused. She really didn't want to be alone, so many it was worth wasting a little bit of his time. "I don't mind…"

Hiro smiled and looked up at the sky. "Saw you looking at the sky, reading the stars?"

Karmi followed his gaze. "Ya, trying to see if I can spot any constellations or something."

Hiro raised a hand and quickly pointed out want. "Like Taurus?"

She frowned briefly, mostly in confusion. "You got that quickly."

Hiro placed his hand down and glanced at her, shrugging. "I know a lot about astrology. In fact, being an astronaut was my first ever dream job. You know, before wanting a million other kind of jobs."

It was true, Tadashi had gotten him a simple astrology book when he was rather little, and Hiro declared he would be an astronaut or astrologist. Before moving onto wanting to be a doctor, then an engineer and so on.

"Huh, never took you to be the type." Karmi marvelled, thinking about adding something like that to her fanfiction later.

"I jumped around a bit as a kid." He revealed.

Karmi looked back at the sky, thinking to herself. "Well, I remember my first ever dream job was to be a zoologist." She grinned lightly at him. "What can I say? Was and still am an animal lover."

"You seemed like the type, I noticed the plushies by the window." He hummed, rolling his shoulder to gesture to her window.

Her face flushed again and rubbed the back of her head. "W-well ya, just something I like to collect, ya know?"

"It's cute" Hiro chirped, suddenly realising what he said a little too late.

"C-cute?" Karmi blushed even more, not daring to make eye contact with him.

Hiro was glad that his helmet hid his red face. He couldn't act so comfy around her like this, it could give away who he is and now she's probably thinking he's hitting on her.

"Ya! You know? I like collecting things as well." Smooth, was all he could think to himself.

"Y-you do?" Karmi questioned, trying to distract herself.

"Well ya, most people do. I mostly like to take something small from the missions we go on, a nice reminder of the event." The boy stated, dying on the inside.

Karmi fiddled with her fingers, lighting brushing away one of her strain bits of hair out of her face as her voice whispers. "I think that's cool…"

"...Thanks." He chuckled warmly, finally calming himself.

Karmi beamed on the inside, but her outer self was relaxed and smiling at him. She was already feeling better from prior events. Her eyes wandered over to Red Panda, a little surprised to see him spraying water from his finger, giving the plants a drizzle. Hiro caught sight of the scene too. Even if it's just flowers, Baymax still cares for their health, probably detecting they needed watering.

Their eyes glanced at each other, before they both started laughing. They didn't know why it seemed so funny, but it just felt right to let loose a little and laugh. Even though he was being quite loud, Hiro noted how Karmi sometimes snorted as she laughed, a trait that almost seemed adorable to him…

As they were distracted by their humorous moment, their hands drop down to rest on the roof again, only for them to touch one another. Karmi noticed first, feeling the distinct glove texture. Her eyes flashed wide as she flicked around to look at him in shock. Hiro was puzzled for a second, only to feel what his hand was rested on was not flat like the roof. He didn't even have to look down to know what happened.

Their eyes met, brown meeting brown and they stayed like that in silence. Hiro was somehow entranced by her, but he didn't know why. Karmi was a friend, yes, but why did this feel so different right now. Maybe it's because there was no negative tension around them, that they were alone, seeing her with no guard up. Was this what she could really be like if she didn't have her wall up?

Karmi, however, was feeling something different. Yes, she was over the moon that her crush was gazing at her in such a manner and holding her hand. But something seemed so familiar. The look of confusion and curiosity, the sharp brown eyes behind the mask, the way he laughed and joked. She had seen it somewhere before, but where? Was it possible that she knew who was under the mask? It was right on the tip of her tongue. She opened her mouth to speak, to ask, but they were cut off by Red Panda.

He had walked over to the house, looking up at the two, head all the way back. "Captain, it appears there is an attempted robbery going on, I recommend we go assess before anyone if hurt."

Hiro snapped his head away from Karmi, pushing away his previous thoughts. He couldn't about them right now, he knew he wasn't ready, not yet. His hand slipped away from hers as he leapt to his feet. "Of course"

Karmi needed a moment to realises what was happening, standing to her feet like his. She wanted to ask him, but she knew it could wait.

He looked to her with a sigh. "I'm sorry, I have to go."

"No, go. They need you…" Karmi reassured. "You are Captain Cutie after all." She smiled playfully, but with an understanding layered over it.

Hiro gazed at her briefly. For some reason, his body didn't want to leave, like he wanted to stay and talk to her, but he couldn't, he had a job to do. He turned and waved to Baymax, signalling to the bot to start up his thrusters.

As the bot did so, hovering up to him. Hiro felt something grab his hand. He stiffened before looking behind him. Of course, it was Karmi.

She didn't know why she did it, her body acted on it's on. But she wasn't flustered or nervous, instead, she held a calm expression on her face.

"...Thank you…" She merely said.

Hiro stared, taking a moment to reply as a tiny smile curled up on his face. "Anytime…"

His arm slipped out of her light grasp as he hopped off the roof, latching onto his partner. He made sure he was on correctly before looking up. "Let's go, Red Panda."

Baymax looked to Karmi and waved a goodbye, his thrusters bursting with power as they soared off, leaving a large gust of air that blew across Karmi's body and face, her hair waving wildly. Her sharp gaze followed them, never looking away as she watched their silhouette grow smaller and smaller, blending into the city lights and vanishing, off to save the day once more. Yet they already seemed to have saved her day.

She slowly looked down, her blanket fluttering around her. She stepped back and crawled into her room, making sure not to knock over any of her plushies. She let the blanket drop to her feet as she looked to her mirror, her neutral expression still plastered on her face as a faint question danced around her mind.

 _Who are you, under that mask?..._


	12. Internship Meet Up

**Finally got around to watching the first few episodes of the new season, thus I now have some more ideas for stories between these two. With Liv Amara as the new villain, it opens up a big doorway for Karmi's character, hopefully.**

 **I'm gonna feel really bad for her when she learns her mentor is really a sadistic woman turning people into monsters. Please let Hiro comfort her or help her through it, it needs to happennnnnn!**

 **I'm also hoping to see a bit of interaction between Krei and Hiro with his internship, because I do hope Krei's character gets some development, as I just don't think he's that bad of a guy.**

* * *

 **Characters:**  
 **Hiro X Karmi**

 **Liv Amara**

 **Alistair Krei**

 **Baymax**

 **A little bit of Karmi's parents _(Who I have named Gad and Deborah, unless we get their names one day)_**

* * *

 **Warning: Nothing much, besides some spoilers for the new season!**  
 **Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, sadly!**

* * *

Karmi fixes her blue dress, fixing her collar and places on a simple but beautiful sapphire necklace. Liv had invited her to join her to one of the many high-end parties she often visits, mostly to represent her company and hopefully get more investors. She's hoping to teach Karmi some things about working in such a job, how to mingle with people and even to show off her new intern. Karmi is pretty much stoke, always happy to spend as much time as she can with her idol.

When she was ready, she gazed at herself in the mirror. Grinning, she twirled lightly in her dress. It was her favourite outfit, simple but elegant and comfortable. But she stopped and stared at herself, thinking. It needed a little something else. Clicking her fingers, she let her hair loose and looked through her accessories, pulling out a matching blue flower hair clip and slipped it into her hair. She turned back at the mirror, hands on her hip.

"Perfect!" She chirped.

Then there was a knock at her door before the door creaked open. It was her mother, coming to check up on her.

"Karmi, are you ready?" Deborah questioned her daughter, smiling softly at the sight of her beautiful get up.

Karmi beamed, holding back a squeal. "Yup! Let me just grab my bag then you can drop me off."

Deborah nodded and was about to pull out of the room but paused and stuck her head back in. "Remember, just have to take a couple of pictures before you go."

"I know, mum." Karmi reminded her.

Deborah laughed softly. "Just making sure, I know how forgetful you get when you get excited."

Karmi blushed, lips tightening. "Mum!"

Deborah snickered and left her daughter, off to find Gad to get the pictures ready. Karmi was left with a salty look briefly, before going back to excitement. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts, texting Liv to inform her that she would be on her way soon. Liv was quick to reply, thankful to hear and expresses her normal grace, even through texts. Karmi slipped her phone in her handbag before rushing out her room.

* * *

Gad slowed the car down, stopping outside the mansion-like building, people already swarming inside, calm classical music heard. As he parked the car, Karmi couldn't wait and hopped out, nearly making her father step on the break and yell at her. Though he stopped himself, seeing how happy his little girl was. He sighed and told himself to talk to her later about it. Deborah gave her husband a look before smiling to Karmi, rolling the window down.

"We'll come pick you up when it's over, have fun, honey." She hummed gently.

"And make sure to make an impression." Gad smirked. He was rather proud of his daughter's current status.

"Oh, ya, I know I will." Karmi waved a hand, acting a little smugly, though deep down couldn't remove those pesky butterflies in her stomach.

"Love you." Deborah called out as they started to drive away.

Karmi waved to them, repeating the same statement. When they were out of view, she took a deep breath, relaxed her body before straightening and heading inside. Liv had informed her that she would be near the front, waiting for her. Of course, she found her being swarmed by a couple of other business owners and some potential clients. She froze a little, not sure how to make herself present. Luckily, the CEO noticed her and waved.

"Karmi, you finally made it." Liv beamed softly, walking past some people to stand next to the girl. "Everyone, this is Karmi, the girl who joined my internship."

Immediately, many of the people congratulated Karmi on her new internship and getting to work at Sycorax. A couple asked about what projects she working on and took heavy interest on the fact she was mainly responsible in curing Orso Knox. This was something Karmi expected, given what these people were like, but it still surprised her how much they listened to her and paid attention, actually impressed with her work and intrigued with her.

This was one of the many reasons she joined Sycorax. People actually enjoyed her company and work, giving her the respect and attention she's been desperate for. Being surrounded by people that worked in the same field as you was like a dream come true. Though those butterflies didn't leave. She still needed to get use to this lifestyle, along with being worried about making a big fool of herself. These weren't other students or random nothing strangers, these were big people taking their time to listen to her.

A woman piped into the conversation. "What made you want to help? Most were starting to think it was a lost cause."

Karmi blinked, a little taken aback by the question and how harsh her tone was. Looking at the woman, it was clear she was high class, but Karmi didn't know who she was or even the company she might own or work for.

The woman's cold stare made her stutter as she talked. "A-ah, well, at Sycorax, we always do our best and never give up when we know we could help someone."

The lady raised her brow, judging the words that came out of her mouth. "I meant you personally. Don't need to act like a hive mind…"

Karmi bit her tongue. This was part of the night she wasn't looking forward too. She was fully aware she would come by some snobby or pushy people, so she did her best to stand her ground.

"I just really wanted to help and I knew I could do something…" Karmi hesitated, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Could, or were you taking a whim?" The woman inquired, leaning in a little.

Karmi fiddled with the side of her dress, starting to lose her cool. She was thankful Liv was with her, who had been giving a disapproving look at the lady. Liv placed a hand on Karmi's shoulder, getting the woman's attention.

"Karmi is one of the smartest students I've come across, so I have no doubt she had that much faith in her abilities. She did prove her capabilities." She answered for Karmi, speaking in her soft and calm tone.

It put the lady off who stepped away, giving one last look of annoyance before walking off to mingle with others. Karmi let out her breath she had been holding, relaxing to Liv's touch.

Liv lowered her head to whisper to her. "You alright? I'm sorry about that, always get at least one of those kinds of people around."

Karmi shook her head lightly before looking up at Liv. "I'll be fine, just took me by surprise."

Liv smiled gently, holding back a light laugh. "I suppose they do pounce out of nowhere."

Karmi smirked. "Like a wild cat."

Liv let out her light laugh and straightened. "Precisely. But why don't we move away before she stalks back here."

"Please... " Karmi murmured, eyes pleading slightly.

So the two girls wandered off to another area of the party. They ran into a couple of Liv's business friends or people who wanted to ask her about something. Karmi mostly just stayed by her side and listening in on the conversation, taking as many mental notes as she can.

She was impressed so much by how Liv acted so calm and cheerful, hardly phased by anything or knew how to handle a situation, something Karmi wanted to always inspire to. She wondered how the CEO could act so confident, yet so humble and barely let her temper loose. The only time Karmi came close to seeing something like that was when she was disappointed finding her and Hiro in the underground lab.

Speaking of Hiro, Karmi's ears perked up as she heard a familiar voice in the crowd of people. She frowned in confusion, struggling to pinpoint its location. Scanning the party, she looked out for a familiar head of messy black hair. She couldn't see anything, however. Probably because of how short Hiro is. But she did hear someone loudly talking and making a slight scene, causing Karmi to look over to a crowd forming around a couple of people. It grabbed Liv's attention as well, so the two walked over, people politely moving for them out of respect for Miss Amara.

When Karmi saw Mr Krei causing the commotion, she held back an eye roll. She had a feeling it was him, and judging by Liv's expression, she knew as well. But it wasn't Krei most were interested in, rather his two guests. Hiro and Baymax.

Karmi's eyes widen slightly, questioning what they were doing here. But then she remembered about Hiro's own internship. Krei must have invited him. And it seemed to be doing him some good, seem the crowd took a big liking to a certain marshmallow bot. One lady was even stroking Baymax, feeling the texture of the material he was made out of.

"He's just the sweetest thing ever." She chimed, smiling lightly at Hiro.

Hiro was standing straight, rather than his normal slouch, as he talked. "Well, he is programmed to be harmless and gentle to patients."

"I am a personal healthcare robot, required to know how to treat any patient under my care." Baymax spoke after Hiro.

She smiled kindly. "He would be lovely to have around the house, I presume?"

Hiro chuckled and nodded. "Always trying to help, especially if you get sick."

Krei placed a hand on Hiro's shoulder, proudly grinning. "Both physical and mental health issues too, right?"

Hiro rolled his eyes as he looked away from his boss, but was always happy to discuss about Baymax. "Mental problems were trouble at first, but he's been getting the hang of it."

Baymax looked the lady up and down before pulling out a plaster out of nowhere. "I detected those heels are starting to give you blisters, do you require a plaster, miss?"

The lady blinked, a little shocked by the sudden offer. She quickly turned back to a cheerful manner and giggled. "An understanding gentlemen." She took the plaster. "Thank you, seems you understand how much of a pain these can be sometimes."

"Why wear them then?" Baymax questioned, head tilting lightly.

Hiro patted the bot's side. "It's fine, Baymax. Just the pain of trying to look so nice."

"Naw, and you're just the sweetest genius I've ever met." The lady couldn't resist and ruffled his hair.

Hiro bit the inside of his mouth as he allowed it. About five people have down that now and comment on how 'cute' he was. He didn't say anything and just took the compliment. It was then another person piped in, a young man.

"Are you ever planning to sell a product like Baymax?" He wondered, staring at Baymax with interest.

Krei fixed his collar with a smug look. "Well, we-"

Hiro cut him off quickly, making sure Krei didn't make a deal or promise he couldn't keep. "I would like to eventually, but there are things that need to be worked out still with him. I also plan to finish my schooling before thinking of anything like that."

The man sighed sheepishly. "A shame, could use something like that in my home. Especially with my back pains."

Hiro smiled lightly and stepped to the side, allowing Baymax access. "He can help with that for tonight."

The bot immediately walked up behind the man, hands vibrating before massaging the man's back. The gentleman was about to protest but melted to the touch, his back pains fading for a short while. This sparked a bunch of people asking Baymax for some kind of health tip or service, which Hiro allowed, happy to show off his brother's creation.

Krei grabbed his attention as he spoke to the boy. "You know we have the time and resource to mass produce something like him."

Hiro gave him a look. "Ya, but I already have my own ideas. Plus, I might have signed that contract, but I know I didn't give permission on making other Baymaxs, so don't try anything."

Krei huffed but nodded. "Very well."

Liv walked over, looking over Baymax again. "Hello again, Baymax."

"Hello, Liv Amara." He looked down at Karmi. "And to you as well, Karmi." Then went back to the people he was helping.

Hiro looked over at the sound of their names. He didn't look surprised to see them, but gave Karmi a smile.

"See you decided to come to one of these." Hiro mused as the two came over.

Krei held back a frown when Liv came over, hiding his jealousy. "Liv, nice to see you again!" He falsely beamed.

Liv smiled back and shook his hand. "Alister, pleasant to see you here."

While the two grown-ups began talking, Krei obviously trying to brag about something or get info on anything Liv is working on, Karmi and Hiro began talking.

"I wasn't aware you were coming." Karmi started, looking over Hiro's outfit. He was well put together, though his hair was pretty much the same.

Hiro simply shrugged. "Krei asked me to and I had nothing else to do. Thought I'd see what one of these parties is like."

"Well, what do you think of it?" Karmi questioned, genuinely curious about his opinion.

"It's fine...honestly, I'm not one for these big fancy get-togethers. Just so many people I don't know. But most of the people are nice and I'm always happy answering questions for people. Plus. "He gestured to his busy companion. "Baymax seems to be a hit with everyone."

"Well, that's not a surprise, everyone ends up loving him." Karmi joked, watching Baymax for a moment.

"He seems to have that ability." Hiro chuckled, shoving his hands in his pocket. "What about you?"

"Oh, ah, I think this is all really cool. I've had some pretty interesting discussions with the people around him, so many different kinds of minds." Karmi grinned quickly, but it faded as she gazed around. "But...yea, a little nervous, I guess. Like you said, so many people we don't know. Even some rude encounters."

"Oh, you met one of them as well?" Hiro rolled his eyes. "I just don't listen to them or give snarky responses. I don't like wasting my breath of those classic Karens."

"You have an easier time giving sass to adults." Karmi pointed out, brushing some loose hair strands out of her face.

"...You're a right there." The boy admitted. "But yea, just don't listen to them. If they want to be judgemental, they can, but they ain't wasting my time."

"Good point." She rubbed the back of her head. "But it's fine, Liv practically saved me."

"Lucky, Krei just ditches me when he has the chance. Guess I'm his get out of jail free card." Hiro frowned with a light pout, quickly giving Krei a death stare.

Karmi snorted, holding back a laugh. "Poor you."

He looked back at her, shaking his head but smiling as well. Karmi fiddled with her fingers as she gazed around some more before looking back at her friend. "I ah, forgot to ask. But you are alright after being kidnapped by Knox, right?"

He raised a hand as he spoke. "Ya, I'm fine. He didn't want to hurt me so I was safe. Plus, Big Hero 6 saved me before anything bad actually happened."

Karmi sighed dreamily for a moment. "Ya, they're amazing…" She looked back at Hiro who was giving a strange look, like he was trying to hide something but also looked embarrassed. She flushed, thinking he was judging her on her crush. "N-nevermind."

He quickly brushed it off. "It's fine. But I am still sorry about using you to see Knox…"

She sighed. "Ya, I'm still ticked off about that."

"I get it, it's alright." He glanced away, seemingly thinking deeply about something.

"...Why did you want to see anyway? It couldn't have just been out of curiosity." Karmi asked, having been stuck on that question for a while.

Hiro paused, thinking of the right words. He still couldn't risk his hero identity so he needed a reason for his normal self. "I guess I was worried...I've seen a lot of things science could do, but this was just extreme. "

"Why would you be worried, though? You don't know Knox." Karmi pointed out, tilting her head.

"Oh, well, Fred knew him and always told about him. I thought I'd help by seeing what I could do." He replied.

He was partly true, but the big reason was actually his suspension on Liv and the Sycorax corp. The fact Liv Amara kept repeating on what she told people about Knox still bugged him, but he knew he couldn't say that to Karmi. One, because he had no proof as himself to have any reason to be suspension, and because it was Karmi's idol, she would most likely take offence to him saying such a thing about her.

"It seems you did have your heart in the right place." She offered him a smile, knowing he was being honest in his worry.

"I'm just glad he's alright now, but not have been fun being that thing." Gazing at his hands briefly, thinking to himself on what it must feel like to have claws.

"Can put it behind himself." Karmi hummed, pushing away strands of hair again.

Hiro noticed and turned to her. "Here." He reached over and unclipped the flower from her hair.

Her eyes widen and she stood there, not sure what was happening. However, she felt him fix her hair back into place, dealing with the pesky strands that had been bugging her, before clipping the flower back on. He stepped back and looking over it, making sure he got it right.

"Better?" He asked rather casually.

Karmi blinked, brushing her hand against her hair. It was nicely cleaned up, which is a surprise, given on how Hiro treats his nest bird of a hair. She couldn't help with the light blush that faded onto her cheeks, almost freaking out on why she was blushing. But she stopped herself from panicking and cleared her throat.

"Y-ya, thanks." She nearly squeaked, cursing her cracking voice.

Hiro pretended not to notice for her. He stumbled a little as someone bumped into him by mistake. "Getting a little crowded, want to check out the snacks and drinks."

"O-oh, sure! Just let me tell Liv." Karmi wandered over to her idol, who was still talking to Krei.

Liv noticed the young girl and turned to her straight away, half listening to whatever Krei was going on about. "Yes, Karmi?"

"Hiro and I are going to check out the drinks and food, so I'll be over there if you need me." She informed her.

Liv smiled and nodded in approval. "Sure, have fun."

Karmi gave her a light grin before sliding back over to Hiro, talking to him as they both wondered off. Liv stared at them, watching their body language and taking notes of certain things. Krei noticed her stares and smirked, brushing his hair back.

"Ya, that boy is one of the most intelligent people I've ever met. Can put full grown adults to shame. You should have seen his microbots." He flaunted.

Liv looked back at him, putting on a fake interested look. "I heard about those, though I also heard he never remade them after what happened to his brother and Mr Callaghan."

Krei's facade briefly faded, thinking about his old friend. He sighed. "Yes, a shame. But he still has a lot to offer. His building, quick thinking, hacking and so much more."

"I am aware of most of those things, including the hacking…" Her smile faded, looking a little disappointed. But she was acting, trying to fool the man into learning just a little bit more.

"As I heard. But he did apologise and it was not my fault so I don't have a say in it." Krei waved his hand at her.

"But I must say it was impressive how easily he hacked into our gear and files. Must prove to be a struggle sometimes for him." Liv replied, looking to Krei.

He snorted. "As if, I've seen him hack into way more secure things. Plenty of my things and other company things, most of the time it's just to spite someone."

"My, my, doesn't sound nice." She smirked lightly.

He shrugged. "What can ya do? Just how he acts. But that's why I have him as an intern. Could get him to focus on other things to entertain that big brain of him."

"So you do care." She laughed softly.

He glared and huffed, but didn't say anything about it. Liv looked back, spotting the two kids sipping some drinks by the table, talking about something with their backs turned. Her eyes locked onto Hiro. She often dismissed him because she didn't care much about the boy, sometimes even saw him as a nuisance, given how many times he's been snooping around her things. But she did admit he was smart, smarter than anyone she has met before.

He wasn't just skilled in science, but in noting things around him. He was the only one to question her work on Knox and was willing to break some rules or even laws to see what was going on. Yes, it was impressive, to have such a spine and drive to do something like that. But from what she's heard, he's done this before plenty of times, so it was part of his character.

She knew she had to keep an eye on him for now. Thankfully, seeing as he and Karmi were friends of some kind, she can always use her intern to keep an update on him. But for now, he was no use to her. But a small plan in the back of her mind might change her mind later, for the boy could prove to be helpful one day. It wouldn't be easy, but she already had ideas on how to get him to comply, much like the rest…

Hiro's head suddenly shot up and he looked over his shoulder, his sharp gaze locking eyes with Liv. Her eyes widen briefly, questioning how he knew she was staring. But she quickly covered herself with a facade, smiling and waving before glancing around, making it seem like she was just viewing the crowd.

Hiro didn't buy it. He didn't know what it was, but something about Liv had been setting him off after the Knox incident. She seemed so sweet and kind, but it seemed fake to him. The undertone to her attitude always gave him shivers Yes, he met people like Honey and Aunt Cass, who both were cheery very often, but they never seemed fake or borderline creepy. But he didn't know why she set him off so much. Perhaps after meeting so many kinds of people and villains these past few months, he was starting to notice the subtle hints subconsciously.

But he had no proof on why he should be worried to tell others to be careful, not even his friends. Some of them did suspect something, but were too amazed over Sycorax to see past some of the facades. Granville was pretty close with Liv and Karmi idolized her. So he had to keep these thoughts to himself. For now, at least.

He found himself shuffling in front of Karmi, blocking Liv's view of her, feeling a strange protective urge in him. He wasn't sure why, but he suspected that since Karmi was the closest to her, something was most likely going to happen to her. Maybe she didn't trust Liv to mentor Karmi, maybe he didn't trust her with someone so fragile.

He was very aware of how her trust was very lightweight and could break easily. He didn't want to see that happen. He looked at Karmi who was distracted by the snacks. He couldn't let her get hurt, but he couldn't say anything to her, given how unsure he was of himself with this feeling. He knew, for now, he would just have to watch out for her, even if it meant disrespecting Liv and her company.

 _He just couldn't shake off a dreaded feeling he had..._


	13. New Girl

**Alright, about the new girl!**

 **Sooooooo, I'm fine with her. But I do actually have some problems with her...not saying I hate the character, but there are some things about her that aren't right. I know some people are proud of seeing her trying to get Hiro into a normal life or acting so friendly, but I think many fail to see that she can be just a little pushy.**

 **Hiro is clearly different and introverted, so while I do agree he should take a break sometimes or do some normal things, the way she acted seemed a little too much for someone like him. Like, inviting him to her school dance would be a no go for people who struggle to socialize, I would know.**

 **But I think that could be an interesting topic to talk about, introverts and extroverts and how they socialize differently. I hope it would be explored, a nice lesson for the kids that could really help them later in life.**

 **What I do not like his father, I'm sorry XD. His whole thing about them not needing Big Hero 6 and the cops are good enough for the job just makes me laugh. Like, sure, _how would you guys have handled an exploding star about to blow up the city_ , or mutants that seem to be bulletproof? His logic makes no sense to me.**

 **Also, I would also like to say that while I can see a romance between the two, I'd rather see Megan and Hiro as friends since I don't actually ship them. Plus, I already have headcannon and ship around Megan haha**

* * *

 **Characters:**  
 **Hiro X Karmi**

 **Megan Cruz**

 **A little bit of Baymax**

* * *

 **Warning: Nothing much**  
 **Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, sadly!**

* * *

The sunshine glimmered throughout San Fransokyo, shining off every building as the normal hustle and bustle of the city could be heard. A normal morning for this advance city and nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary for one. At least, nothing that Karmi had noticed.

The girl walked down the city streets, enjoying her time out. She saved up enough money to spoil herself for the day, going to different shopping centres and buying items she's been wanting, like new plushies or drawing pens. However, she did take notice of how her body needed a top up, so she planned for a break and get something to eat or drink. At first, she was planning to hope by Joe's Diner, a fairly popular place for food. But as she turned to the next street, she spotted the familiar Lucky Cat Cafe.

Pausing, she thought to herself. It had been a couple of weeks since she had seen Hiro outside of school or at her workplace, plus, she adored Cass's tea and muffins. Thinking it couldn't hurt, she decided to change her destination.

Once she got the chance to cross the busy street, she sped walked towards the cafe with a light smile on her face. Reaching out for the door handle, she failed to notice the other person on the other side. A young, dark-skinned and dark hair teen swung open the door, nearly bumping it into Karmi, who, thankfully moved back in time.

"Oh god, sorry!" The girl apologised, looking over Karmi to see if she hit her.

Karmi stiffened a little but cleared her throat. "It's alright, you didn't hit me."

"Thank god…" She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Megan?" Hiro chimed in, sliding past her. He was about to question his friend when he spotted the other girl. "Oh, Karmi." He gave a welcoming smile.

Karmi blinked and glanced between them briefly before looking back at him. The girl, now identified as Megan, also gave a confused look. She raised a brow and nudged Hiro with her elbow.

"Going to introduce us or?..." She paused for him.

"Right, ah. Megan, this is Karmi, a friend at SFIT." Hiro gestured to Karmi.

Megan smiled and held out a hand. "Nice to meet you."

Karmi stared at the hand, surprised by how out there this girl was. But, not to be rude, shook her hand. "You too…"

"And Karmi, this is Megan. Aunt Cass is friends with her dad so she introduced us." Hiro explained, noticing Karmi's odd behaviour. But he understood why.

"Speaking of which…" Megan glanced behind them, seeing Cass staring at them from the counter.

Cass grinned and waved at them a little too eagerly. Hiro grumbled and rubbed his face in embarrassment. Karmi looked even more confused but had a feeling that's why the two were leaving the cafe.

Baymax joined the three, waddling over. "Aunt Cass is trying to help Hiro socialize."

Karmi raised a brow before smirking at the boy. "Oh?"

Hiro raised a hand, stopping her. "Don't…"

"Maybe we should book it to Joe's Diner?" Megan begged, looking to Hiro.

"Agreed, but." He looked to Karmi. "Did you need something? Or were you just going to eat at the cafe?"

Karmi paused and stared at the pair again. Hands by her side, she fiddled with her skirt a little. She hated acting so shy or anxious. Normally she would be fine around Hiro, but Megan was throwing her off, despite the girl not having done anything.

"Well ya, though I was also, kind of, hoping to hang out." She gave a nervous and weak smile.

Hiro titled his head and went to speak, but Megan spoke out first, going up to Karmi.

"You could join us. I sure wouldn't mind." Megan grinned lightly. She was always the kind of person to be happy to meet new people and even make new friends.

Karmi froze up a little, she wasn't sure what to say. Baymax noticed, scanning her secretly before speaking.

"Karmi, you appear to be distres-" He raised his hand to make his statement, but Hiro silenced him.

Hiro patted Baymax's belly to stop him before clearing his throat. "I mean, you can join if you want. I wouldn't mind either." He gave her a reassuring look saying she didn't have to.

It calmed her slightly, happy to see Hiro taking in her social awkwardness. But even then, she wanted to come. Yes, she still had plenty of social issues and hated interacting with new people, but she thought she'd give this Megan a chance, given Hiro seemed fine around her.

"Sure, Joe Diner's was going to be my second choice anyway." Karmi remarked, hands held behind her back as she straightened.

"Great!" Megan beamed and began walking.

Karmi looked to Hiro, she looked unsure to what she just agreed to. He, however, gave her a soft nod, his manner saying it was alright and she'll be fine. The two then followed after Megan, Baymax waddling behind.

* * *

"Ok, ok, have we got everything?" Hiro looked to Baymax.

The bot's screen displayed three lists, each an order. "Megan wants a strawberry smoothie, medium sized waffles and some bacon on the side. Karmi wants an ice chocolate and basket of fries. And you want a cola and a slice of apple pie."

Hiro gazed over the list and then to the girls. Both answering that their orders were correct. So, Hiro stood up.

"I'll go order then, be right back." The boy said, taking the money they all pitched in for the order and walking off with Baymax to the front.

Unfortunately, from what Karmi could see, there was a little bit of a line, so she would be stuck with Megan for a bit. She kind of wished she offered to give the orders. But all she could do is wait.

Karmi looked down at the table, tapping her fingers against it. Maybe she wouldn't have to say anything, but Megan apparently had another idea.

"Hiro never mentioned you." Megan started.

Karmi blinked and looked up. "Oh ah...well, we haven't exactly been friends for that long."

"Huh, when did you meet?" Megan questioned.

"Well, actually, we met near the start of the school year." She rubbed the back of her head. "What I meant by the friend thing was that we didn't get along at first…"

"Why?" Megan blinked but glanced around before whispering. "Is it because he's always so busy?"

"Ah, no. We just had trust issues towards each other." Karmi explained further. "Ya, he's a busy guy, but practically everyone at SFIT is."

"And I thought it was just him." Megan laughed lightly.

Karmi shook her head but found herself smiling a little. "Well, now that I think about it, he does push the limits compared to the SFIT standard."

Megan glanced over to Hiro who finally made it to the front, talking to the cashier. Quickly looking back to Karmi, she asked a question. "Know why he so busy?"

Karmi's face went back to confusion. "What do you mean?"

"It's just, when we first met and started talking, all he ever talked about was SFIT, school work, science and all that. He barely had time to see a movie with me." She raised her hands quickly. "I'm not trying to sound rude, just a little concerned, you know? It just doesn't seem normal for someone his age."

Karmi paused, thinking over the words. Before she stopped herself, she started talking truthfully. "Well, I don't think he was ever going to be a normal kid. He's made be well aware he's always been smart since he was young. Jumping class and eventually ending up at college at fourteen. Plus, his brother went there and he was a genius too. As you can tell by Baymax."

Megan's eyes glanced at Baymax, a soft expression in her eyes. She was well aware of what happened to Tadashi, having heard about on the news on that fateful day. Her dad, having had known Cass, was quiet for a while and even got into contact with his old friend.

She looked back to Karmi. "I know what you mean, but is it healthy?"

Karmi shrugged. "Depends, I guess. This life is suited towards him." She glanced away briefly. "He has explained that the environment he was in before SFIT wasn't nice. Plenty of bullies or judgement, ya know?"

"Ya, I just think he could use a little normality in his life." Megan added on.

Karmi huffed a sigh. She could tell Megan did mean well, but she was different from Hiro. She was outgoing, extroverted, went to a normal school and had a normal life, despite her dad being the chief of police.

"Maybe...but what's wrong with being different?" She raised a brow.

Megan's eyes widen and she raised her hands. "N-no, I didn't mean like that I just…" She sighs. "Right, maybe I have been coming off like that."

Karmi's eyes softened and she rested her elbows on the table. "I get it's a little hard to understand his or our way of life. But it's not necessarily bad, right? In fact, as I said, it's the kind of life better suited to someone like him. A normal school and normal life would have probably been boring and waste to him."

"I can see that." Megan rubbed the back of her head. "I've just never met people like him before. Having a bot, being a young genius and not that outgoing."

"I'm like that…" She paused. "Ok, not the bot part, but the young genius who doesn't know how to socialize…"

Megan smiled lightly. "Guess that's why you're friends, can probably understand each other's habits."

Karmi looked down, thinking about those words. Their friendship had been growing ever since they'd opened up to each other, displaying negative manners and experiences that were all too familiar. Both knew they were different, both struggled with friends, both were bullied and both could lash out. And while it took time, those negative moments have helped the two become friends. Even before, when Karmi met Megan, Hiro was keeping an eye on Karmi, knowing how she would be feeling during those situations.

"You know." Megan leaned back into her seat. "With the both of us, we could probably help him get out more. You understand his way of socializing, so you can teach me what to do." She smirked, already forming some plans in her head. "Can get him outside more often."

Karmi had not been expecting that, but the idea did make her smile. Not only would it help Hiro, but it could help. Having someone extroverted could help bring her out of her shell, but she'd still have Hiro to help if it was becoming too much for her.

"I mean, he is pretty pale." Karmi joined in, snickering.

"It is a problem having such light skin." A voice spoke behind them.

Both girls nearly jumped in their seats. But, instead, they stiffened and flicked their heads around. Baymax and Hiro had been carrying over their items, Hiro had a looking saying he heard plenty of what they were saying, but he looked fine with it. Laying out the food for them, he took his seat.

"I see you're both getting along." Hiro noted, sipping his cola.

Megan gave a sheepish smile. "Just girls chatting."

"Does that mean we can kick the boy off the table?" Karmi gave a cheeky look at Hiro.

"Excuse me." Hiro placed a hand on his chest, pretending to look offended. "What about Baymax."

"No, he can stay. He's cute." Karmi giggled.

"Oh, I agree." Megan laughed with her, looking at Hiro who just rolled his eyes.

Their laughter filled the diner as they became their lunch.

* * *

Hiro waved to Karmi who was walking in the opposite directions. Megan and Hiro had to get back to the cafe before Megan's father come to pick him up, while Karmi wanted to continue her shopping day. Karmi waved her hand as she turned a corner, vanishing.

Hiro shoved his hands into his pockets, gazing down the street still. Megan looked him up and down, before gazing over his face. Her expression became smug as she came to a conclusion.

"You never said you have a crush." She said, as she wiggled her eyebrows.

Hiro's face flushed and his eyes widen in shock. He flicked his head around, struggling to find his voice. "W-what?!"

"I recognize that look. Plenty of my friends have had it." Megan looked down the street then back at him. "But don't worry, I think she likes you too."

"Megan! W-we do not like each o-other like that!" Hiro cried out.

Baymax raised a finger. "Blushing, enjoying someone's company a lot and constantly looking at them can be a sign of feeling attracted to someone-

"Baymax!" Hiro shut him up, snapping out of embarrassment.

Megan nudged him playfully. "Your secret is safe with me, lover boy."

Hiro huffed and grumbled to himself. He knew arguing would make it worse, he had experience with that already with his friends and his Aunt.

Megan laughed lightly and started walking, however she spoke as she brushed past Hiro. "Besides, you picked a pretty attractive one."

Hiro's mind drew a blank to those words. He stood there for a moment, puzzled before his eyes widen and he flicked around to look at her. "Wait…"

"I never said I was just into guys…" Megan smirked proudly.


	14. False Face Must Hide

**WOOOOOOOO boy! I've been waiting to write this one, but I wanted to wait until Season 2 gave us some info on Liv Amara. But then they dumped a whole bunch of episodes on us and I had to wait until they went on hiatus.**

 **This is going to be a heavy story, so you have been warned. Also, this will probably never match up to what the show will do. But as I said, it's fanfiction, so who cares?**

 **Again, I am so sorry for being away. Writer's block again and health issues, but mostly because it was my brother's birthday and we had lots of people staying around for it.**

* * *

 **Characters:**  
 **Hiro X Karmi**

 **Liv Amara**

 **The Gang + Baymax**

 **Chris**

 **The Mutants - Bessie, (Others mentioned) Mr. Sparkles (Mayoi) and High Voltage**

* * *

 **Warning: Violence/Blood/Some torture and swearing, deep feelings ahead!**  
 **Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, sadly!**

* * *

Hiro stared at his computer screen, sometimes glancing at his notes. He was silent, except for him tapping his desk in annoyance. He studied every single browser he had opened, all the same topic, all the same research, all the same interviews and facts about Liv Amara. But he couldn't find anything that was real proof. Yes, he found certain phrases or dates to be suspicious, but he knew he couldn't go on a hunch.

She was adored by the public, showered with praise and she helped them in return, donating animals, giving certain people special treatment and always had a smile on. People thought they could rely on her, especially after she 'saved the day'. But Hiro knew the truth, along with his friends. They had tangled with a smart villain before, even tricked at times to think he and others were something else. Trina, who Hiro thought was just a cool teenager, struggling to bot fight. Callaghan, who everyone once looked up to for wisdom. Obake the tricky one. They hadn't seen what he normally looked like until after he tricked Honey for the book. Even then, he always found a way to trick them.

Hiro closed his eyes, the thought of his previous villain lingered in his mind. He was a damaged man making dangerous decisions. He views on what was right and wrong had gone out the window long ago. But in the end, he wanted to do something for the world and himself. He wanted to rebuild things, upgrade them and feel important. But his mind wasn't stable and his ideas became dark. Liv, on the other hand, she doesn't appear to want to help the city. Baymax didn't report anything wrong with her, so she had a stable mind with a dark personality. She knew what she was doing is all wrong, while Obake had some kind of moral to him.

Hiro sighed and closed his browser, his eyes drifting over his notes. She made him scared, but not like Obake, or even Callaghan. He knew why they did it and in some ways understood. Liv, he had no idea why and showed no reason why.

His eyes then landed on a piece of evidence. The chip found on Nedd Ludd. He knew Liv was using some kind of chips to cause the mutations, but this one was different, because it wasn't her design. It was Karmi's. He had recognized it when he picked it up and his heart sunk, questioning why Liv would use her design. Was she planning to frame Karmi or was this design easier to use for quick mutations?

Picking it up, he brushed a finger along the purple chip, careful not to damage it. Liv was using Karmi in more ways than one. Hiro had hoped she would just have Karmi working with the other interns who Hiro suspected knew nothing on what was happening, Liv using them to do the basic company jobs and research. But Liv had stayed close to Karmi and Hiro could see why. Karmi was gifted in bio-tech, was young and looked up to Liv, eager to learn from her. However, Karmi was also vulnerable and could be used easily, no doubt something Liv picked up on while working with her.

Hiro closed his eyes, remembering the night Knox had escaped his cage. Liv was disciplining Karmi when she saw her cure. The look in Liv eyes, they seemed surprised and proud, but Hiro had noticed that cold glaze over them. She was not happy, but couldn't break her facade over it. Which is why she set Knox on the two in hopes to have it end up in an 'accident', something Hiro figured out later on.

That was something else that scared Hiro. When the boy became a priority for Obake, the man did what he could to make sure the boy lived, despite how much Hiro fought back. When he was kidnapped, Obake just seemed excited in a sickly manner, eager to teach Hiro and stating they would do great things together. But what really got the young boy was how, even after they ruined his plans, he let Baymax go to save him, wanting him to know he still thought we could do great things together. Obake saw worth in him, respected Hiro and didn't want him to go to waste. He could have gotten revenge by not letting Baymax go, but he didn't. He didn't want Hiro to die.

Liv on the other hand. Karmi was useful, but she's already proven she would kill her if she gets the chance. When Karmi made the cure, she became a threat to Liv and she quickly tried to deal with it. But it didn't work and Hiro didn't know if she would try again or wait and keep using Karmi. She didn't care who lived or died, as long as her plans and herself are safe. His friend was endangered, but he knew she wouldn't listen without the proof, despite what Hiro has told her.

He bit his tongue and placed the chip down, hair falling over his eyes. He can't let her get hurt, or worse, killed. He needed a way to get Karmi out of the fight before it was too late. But that was easier said than done. They might be on better terms, but Karmi would do anything for Liv. That blind nativity over an idol was all too familiar to him.

"Hiro, you seem upset." Baymax spoke suddenly, snapping Hiro out of his thoughts.

The boy spun around in his chair, brushing the hair off his face. "I just don't know what else to do. There's nothing I can find that proves what Liv is doing."

"You seemed more frustrated towards Karmi's chip." The bot added, lifting a finger to gesture to the chip.

Hiro's eyes followed and he sighed softly, picking the chip up. "I guess I was thinking about Karmi. I don't want her to be a part of this for her own safety, but I don't know how to get her to stay away."

"You could be honest with her." Baymax commented, head tilted.

Hiro placed the chip down and stood from his chair, grabbing a notepad and flicked through it. "You already saw me try and do that. I have no proof and she'll take Liv's words over mine."

"You do have proof." Baymax pointed out, once again pointing to the chip. "You never told her about it."

Hiro stopped but didn't look at the chip. "No, I can't." He looked at his friend. "Even if she believed me, she would be angry or upset with herself that Liv used her creation to hurt people."

The bot blinked and looked at the chip, then back at Hiro. "Is this one of those 'Lying so not to hurt someone' moments?"

"Suppose so." the boy answered, plopping onto his bed.

Baymax stared at him and waddled over, patting his head. "You should sleep on it. Rest will help clear your mind."

Hiro looked up at him, resting against the giant marshmallow. He looked down at his notes and huffed quietly, tossing it on his desk, not caring for the mess.

"Ya, you're right." He rubbed his eyes and kicked his shoes off. Sleep did sound good and he had basically plastered the name Liv Amara throughout his mind, so he needed to clean that out of his system.

"Good, I will be charging if you need me." He said, before waddling over to his charging port. He deflated and folded himself as it covered him, his eyes closing.

Hiro watched with a light smiling. When Baymax was in his pod, it was oddly cute. Then again, anything he tended to do was cute. He laid down, sliding under his blanket as he reached to turn off his bedside light. His eyes caught the shine coming off the purple chip and he stared at it. His gut curled in on itself, feeling guilty. But he quickly shook his head and switched off the light, laying down and tried to ignore the item.

He snuggled into his blankets, rubbing his face against his pillow as he thought about other things, happier things, like Mochi or the latest ping pong match he had with his friends. It distracted him and he finally found himself asleep and into the world of dreams, but they were not going to be kind tonight…

* * *

 _Hiro opened his eyes to darkness. At first, he thought he just couldn't open his eyes. He looked down to see his hands, moving them around and stretching his fingers. It wasn't his eyes, he really was in a black void. So he took a few steps forward, glad to see he could still move._

 _He glanced over his shoulder often as he scanned the area, but there truly was nothing to be seen. So he cupped his hands around his mouth and spoke._

 _"Hello?" He called out, voice echoing back at him._

 _No reply came, as he expected. But hearing the echo was strange, given he didn't think there were any walls and roof for the sound to bounce off, it just looked endless. But as he last echoes vanished, he heard something behind him, heavy breathing like an animal, huffing down his back. Questioning how he didn't feel it before, he spun around and felt his heart sink._

 _A slim but massive mutant stood behind him. From a quick glance, it looked like a mashup of a fox, cat and snake. Unlike most of the mutants, this one looked fairly pleasing to look at, almost mystical but also dangerous. Hiro had to tilt his head up to look at its eyes, those sharp brown eyes looked familiar._

 _He didn't get a moment to think as it raised a claw, revealing it's sharp claws and swiping at him. He reacted and flung himself back, somehow quite far, as if gravity wasn't that strong unless you were standing. It dove at him, swiping more and even going in for a bite, each time Hiro would dodge, flying about and landing around the place. It kept pushing him back, but there was no dead end and so end to these attacks._

 _"Woah!" He dodged once more, its claws narrowly dodging his eyes._

 _He slid to a halt and looked at it, eyes narrowing as he felt a sudden burst of anger and coldness within himself. He straightened himself, his face sharpening as he stood his ground and yelled._

 _"Enough!" His voice boomed, somehow echoing again._

 _The beast stopped in its tracks and stared at him in shock, ears lowering and tail tucked in. It whimpered in fear and shuffled back a bit. Then its eyes reflected the faint pink glow coming off of Hiro._

 _The boy blinked in confusion and raised his hands, seeing the same pink light highlighting them. He knew what it was and his eyes widen._

 _"No…" He whispered in disbelief, hands raising as they covered his face._

 _"Why deny it, boy?..." A cold yet soft spoke behind him, making him freeze as a hand was placed on his shoulder. "It suits you."_

 _Hiro flicked his head around to met with Obake's eyes and glowing face. He looked the same as how Hiro remembered him. Calm, collected, stiff but held a smile on his face. A proud look shone in his eyes. The two were matching, both with half of their face glowing pink. Obake's was steady, but Hiro's kept flickering in panic._

 _Hiro slipped out of Obake's grip and stumbled back, refusing to take eyes off the man, but ended bumping into the beast. He looked to it and it cowered back more, suddenly so terrified of the small boy and the light he let off. Hiro reacted in fear and covered his face again, breathing rapidly._

 _"No, no, no…" He murmured, he didn't understand what was happening._

 _Then another voice came into the picture and their words nearly broke Hiro._

 _"Come on, Karmi, we have business to take care of…" Liv Amara echoed._

 _The beast stood on all four legs and hurried over to Liv. Hiro dropped his hands to his side and looked at them. The creature's long brown hair, sharp brown eyes and colour pattern was all related to Karmi, but he couldn't believe it._

 _Shaking his head, he felt his knees become weak but he didn't fall. "No...you...you mutated her?"_

 _Liv stroked Karmi's hair, giving a dark grin to Hiro. "She was more...useful this way."_

 _She then turned away, seemingly forgetting about Hiro and started to walk into the darkness, Karmi prowling behind her new master. Hiro snapped out of it and tried to run forward and call out to Karmi, but Obake's hands held him in place. Hiro's face was now flashing brightly with fear. He looked up at Obake in horror and confusion._

 _"Don't worry, they're not worth our time when we're done with things…" The man chuckled quietly._

 _Hiro's eyes watered lightly as his mind shattered. He finally fell to his knees, eyes closing as he blacked out._

* * *

Hiro flung himself to sit up in his bed. Nearly crying out but only gasped, taking a deep breath before panting. His eyes darted around the place, rapidly blinking to fix his vision. He was afraid he was still stuck in that nightmare, but it became clear he was back to reality when he saw Baymax in his pod, charging as Hiro laid in his bed in the real world.

He raised a shaky hand and brushed it across his forehead, feeling the sweat. His body was warm, blood pumping and all around felt sick to the stomach. He shoved his sheets off of him, body calming to the cool air that instantly stuck to him. Using breathing techniques Baymax taught him, he laid back down and stared at the ceiling, trying to steady his breathing and wait for his body to cool down.

He eventually got the breathing down, but he was still a little too warm and his throat hurt, dry from all the heavy breathing. He glanced over at his health care bot, making sure he wasn't awake, before silently slipping off of the bed and tiptoeing to the bathroom. He wasn't going to wake up Baymax over a nightmare. He's uses to, but they never seemed to go away and sometimes Baymax didn't understand the meaning behind some of them, so it wasn't worth talking to him, plus, he didn't want to wake up his Aunt from the talking again.

He slid into the bathroom, but only turned on the lamp in it, not daring to blind himself with the bathroom light. Turning on the tap, he cupped his hands to catch some water, washing his face with it before catching some more to drink. His body was finally calmed, but his mind was overworking.

Resting his hands on the counter, he stared down at the water as it swirled down the drain, eyes soft as he thought over the nightmare. One part, he was familiar with. He raised his head and looked at himself in the mirror. He was a mess, hair even more of a reck, bags under his eyes and skin pale, but that might have been the lighting. He then raised a hand and covered one side of his face, the half that had been glowing in the dream. He stared at himself, a sorrow look in his eyes and he hesitantly lowered the hand, somehow afraid that it would start glowing.

The second part with Liv and Karmi, that was new but he understood why. He worries over the new villain and the situation with his friend was on his mind and the talk before bed didn't seem to help. Now, this nightmare made it worse.

Brushing his hair back with his hand and drying his face with a towel, he switched the lamp off and exited the bathroom. He shuffled towards his bed, head hung low. As he reached his bed and lifted a blanket, his eyes locked onto the chip. He stood there, just staring at it.

Lowering the blanket and reaching over to the chip. He shuffled across the room again, past Baymax and stopping just on the outside of Tadashi's side of the room. Hiro stared at it, eyes drifting over it. It was still clean, organized and full of his brother's things, the same as how they've left it for months. Hiro rarely stepped into it, afraid he's ruin the place just by being in it. But when he did step into it, it was always at times when he deeply wishes he had his brother to ask a hard question to, like tonight.

He slid over to the end of the bed, staring down before taking a seat on it. The moment he sat, he could smell Tadashi's scent still on everything, even if it had faded a little over time. He relaxed to it and closed his eyes, allowing himself to picture Tadashi right next to him. It comforted him in desperate times, remember his brother's wisdom and love, two things she still really needed.

Biting his lip, he opened his eyes and looked at the tiny item in his hands. It reflected a little of the moonlight that peaked through the curtains. Fiddling with it, he looked up at the roof, taking a moment to think and question himself. He pleaded to know what he should do, how to prove Liv is the villain, save the city and keep Karmi safe. He hoped that, somehow, his brother could send a sign to him on what to do. But it wasn't going to happen, he had to make the choice himself, but being in his brother's half of the room allowed to hear Tadashi's voice clearer, allowing Hiro to almost think what he brother would advise.

However, he already knew the answer, as his creation already said it to Hiro. Glancing at Baymax's pod, he remembered what he said. He has the chip and he can show Karmi, even if it hurts her. It's better than her dead in the end.

Looking at the chip as he flicked it around in his hands, his eyes narrowed in determination and he looked up. He had to do something before it was too late, even if it didn't well.

* * *

Granville wrote down the final formula on the board just as the bell rang. She was slightly surprised, having felt like time went faster than normal. But she shrugged it off and looked to her students.

"We will continue tomorrow, so do not throw away those notes, I will not rewrite what I've done today." She informed them, hearing small groans coming from the back, making her smirk.

Hiro shoved all his things into his bag and looked to Karmi's desk. She was packing away her things neatly and briefly looked at her phone. He slid a hand into his pocket, feeling the chip. When she stood and exited the room, he took a sharp breath and hurried out the door. Baymax greeted him, having waited outside the class, and the two followed Karmi.

Hiro wanted to wait until there were no other students. He had hoped she would go to her private lab, but she seemed to be heading to the library, much to annoyance. Thankfully, he was aware of a short cut she took that barely anyone used, so he had a chance.

When she turned the corner into the shortcut hall, he bolted around to stop her before she left. Luckily, he saw no one in the hall with them, so he took his chance as Baymax caught up to him.

"Karmi, wait!" He called out.

She stopped in her tracks and turned, a puzzled look on her face. "Ah, yes?"

He came to a stop right in front of her, straightening his body and trying to not look nervous. "I just wanted to...thank you, for the mayoi thing. You really did help."

She smirked. "It was pretty epic."

"I more thankful that you gave me a chance to talk to you about those things." He rubbed the back of his head. "Even trying to find a cure."

She waved her hand. "Should be thanking Liv for that one."

His face fell slightly, losing his smile. "About that…"

A frown formed on her face as she crossed her arms, already knowing what he was going to say. "Are you still on about this whole 'Liv Amara is the one creating the monsters' thing? Hiro, you saw she saved the day and I found no traces of Sycorax creating the mayois."

Hiro bit his lip, having expected this hostile version of her. "Look, I get that, but it's still suspicious. I don't mean to repeat myself, but she seemed to repeat how long it would take to cure Knox, dodged all my questions, just happens to have a cure for the mayois and always seems to be around when monsters appear. Even you have to see something is wrong with that"

"Coincidences happen. I could say the same about Big Hero 6, but everyone knows they would never do that, same with Liv. She wants to help people. There are reasons behind all of those suspensions, Hiro. She didn't want people fretting over Knox's condition, dodged all your questions because they're dumb and could create false rumours, the cure for the mayois came from her research on fungal removal and Sycorax are the best people to deal with the monsters." Karmi listed off, practically ready to leave.

"I understand that, but it's still all doesn't add up." He fiddled with his fingers and glanced away briefly. "Look, Karmi, I know what it's like to look up to someone so much and think they can do no wrong, but that shouldn't blind you from the possibility that they are a bad person."

Karmi paused and looked away too. She was very aware of who he was talking about. The man he looked up to and ended up killing his brother and using his creation, that would be a hard thing to live with.

He gave a soft expression, thinking he might be getting somewhere. "I know you want proof and I've tried finding it, but she knows what she's doing. I've seen people like this before, people who, if they wanted to, could make themselves disappear without a trace. But I'm sure she is behind it all, even if nothing says it does."

She eyes locked back onto him. "You can't base it all around a gut feeling. You need evidence for experiments."

Hiro shook his head. "I'm aware but this isn't science, this is about real people."

"Then it would be the law, which you also need proof on." She huffed, tightening her grip on the books she held close to her chest.

"Sometimes the law can't help. They could barely do anything against all the other villains. Noodle Burger Boy, Momakase, High Voltage and now these mutants. That's what Big Hero 6 does and yet you're not calling out on them." Hiro pointed out, failing to keep himself calm.

She narrowed her eyes. "Because those are different problems. I agree, sometimes the law is wrong or can't fix those problems. But they are well-known criminals and prove to be bad people because they steal and hurt others. Liv hasn't done that, so you can't claim she is like them."

Hiro took a deep breath, knowing anger would not solve this problem. "And what if she is like them, just working behind the scene. Like the man who tried blowing up the city. If we let her keep going then she'll do something so bad, the city might not be able to handle it."

"You still don't have the proof!" She argued. She closed her eyes and huffed before straightening. "Liv is kind, understanding and helps people. She does what she can for the city and loves the people that live in it. She brings hope, she brings life, she brings knowledge." Her eyes fall as she looked down. "She sees the talent in people, even when they don't see what they're worth." She paused, letting those words sink in, before snapping her head back up. "Everyone but you seem to see that and I just can't understand why."

She flicked around, ponytail whipping the air as she began to walk away in a hurry. Hiro's eyes widen and he reacted, grabbing her hand. It succeeded in making her stop, freezing her in shock and fright. He swallowed, his other hand trailing to his pocket as he pulled out the chip.

"Hiro wishes to be honest with you." Baymax finally chimed in, but this seemed to be the wrong move.

Karmi ripped her hand out of Hiro's out hand, causing the boy to stumble back. She looked at him with anger, but he could see how upset she really was, so he hid the chip in his hand, covering it with his fingers.

"Honest with me? Then why don't you tell me the truth as to why you actually hate me working with Liv! I thought it was just jealousy, but now I see it's something else! So, what is it? Do you have some kind of disgusting view on Liv or biotech? Do you hate how she ignored you in favour of me? Or do you just hate all of this because I finally have a life outside of you and this stupid rivalry?!" She ranted, fists tight as she stepped back.

Hiro's arms were raised in front of himself as he stepped back once more. He had never seen Karmi so angry. Yes, she would get mad with him over petty things or actually problems he's caused, but this was deeper. He wasn't sure what to say, but his mouth opened before he noticed.

"No, it's none of those things…" He whispered, voice almost cracking.

She stared, still angry and upset, but had a look of confusion and disbelief. "Then what, what is it?..."

He stared into her eyes with gentle eyes, full of concern but also fear. He let out his most genuine response. "To keep you safe…"

Her eyes widen and she stepped back this time, hands shaking a little. She couldn't understand what he was saying, like he knew something she didn't know. But she didn't want to believe it, she couldn't. She didn't know how to respond, so she spun around on her heels and dashed off down the hall, wiping her eyes from the tears that threatened to spill.

Hiro had raised a hand out to stop her, but he couldn't bring himself to. He failed to talk her out of it and only ended up hurting her. Cursing to himself, he sighed and looked down at his hand, opening it to reveal the chip in his palm.

Baymax looked down at him. "You could still show her it…"

Hiro's eyes narrowed, a cold expression on his face. He quickly pocketed the chip and turned to the other direction. He had already caused enough damage and the chip would make it worse, he was sure of it. Besides, he had a different plan.

Striding down the halls with a purpose, Baymax waddled behind. "Your blood level is elevating."

"I know, bud...I know." He murmured, still holding a cold, sharp gaze.

* * *

"Ok, my turn! What has a head, a tail, is brown, and has no legs?" Fred questioned his robot pal.

Mini-Max, who was currently sitting on Honey Lemon's lap, threw a finger up into the air as he chimed in. "A penny!"

Fred groaned. "Ow man, you always get them so easily."

"Then I will give one to you." The bot flipped off of Honey and landed on next to Fred, posing as he spoke. "I'm one of five, I'm not alive. The one who sent me forth became king, The one who received me died. What am I?"

"Ahhh…" Fred stared at his friend, trying to process the words.

"That's a little hard." Honey tilted her head, thinking as well.

Wasabi had joined in too, but Gogo sat and watched, chewing her gum like normal. They had been waiting for Hiro, who had texted them all saying they had to meet up after school, at Fred's house, to talk about something urgent, though he was somehow late to his own meeting.

Fred then clicked his fingers. "I know it! It's the five stones from David and Goliath."

"Corrreccctttttt!" Mini-Max beamed, flipping on the spot.

"Wow, Freddy. How'd you get that?" Honey Lemon questioned, genuinely curious.

Fred leaned back against his couch, smiling lightly. "I remember doing a paper on that story during my English studies. The riddle matched the story."

Wasabi chuckled lightly and clapped his hands. "Nice going."

"I always forget you have an English degree…" Gogo muttered and glanced away.

Mini-Max then shot his head up, twisting it like an owl to face the bedroom door. "Hiro has arrived." He launched himself over to the door as it opened.

Hiro walked past Heathcliff, who had opened the door for him. "Thanks, Heathcliff."

"Anytime, Mr Hamada." The posh man replied.

Baymax waddled behind but stopped at Heathcliff. Knowing already what the bot would do, he held up his fist for Baymax, who bumped it with his own.

"Balalala." The bot wiggled his fingers upwards.

Heathcliff simply nodded and exited, closing the door behind Baymax and leaving the teens to talk. Baymax went back to Hiro's side, who was already shuffling through his bag.

"I'm sorry I'm late, I had to pick up something…" His voice didn't sound right. Like he was tired, but mentally than physically.

Honey noted this first. "Is everything alright, Hiro?"

Hiro seemed to pause in thought before speaking. "It's not." He stood, pulling out a green and amber coloured chip and looking to his team. "More and more mutants are appearing and putting more people in danger. Knox was hard enough, but now with the others running rampant through Liv's orders, along with all their different abilities, it'll become a problem that I don't think we can keep up with."

Wasabi sighed softly, crossing his arms. "We're doing all we can."

Hiro narrowed his eyes and walked up to Fred's TV, plugging in the chip he carried. "No, we're not…"

Once the TV registered the chip, the screen lite up showing blueprints. The others gazed at it, taking a moment before realising it was Sycorax. Some files were missing, like the hidden underground labs.

Gogo raised a brow and turned to Hiro. "Why do you have these? And how?"

Hiro glanced away, looking a little ashamed. "Once when I was...visiting Karmi at her workplace, I may have stolen some files when she wasn't looking." He looked back, speaking before the others say anything. "But I got them because we are going to sneak into Sycorax tomorrow night and find the evidence we need against Liv Amara. Ending this before it's too late.

Their eyes widen as they all stood up from their seats, looking to their leader in confusion and shock. Gogo slid over to Hiro, gazing down at him.

"You're not serious…" She huffed.

"But I am." Hiro retorted, crossing his arms with a serious tone in his voice.

Honey cleared her voice and stepped forward. "I know you're worried, Hiro, but so are we. We want to stop this but going straight to Sycorax isn't how we should go about it.

"I'm not saying we just storm into the place. I'm saying we sneak in, without being noticed, and find the proof we need." Hiro explained.

"And if we get caught?" Wasabi chimed in.

"Sycorax doesn't have the most amazing security system ever, I was able to hack into the secret lab without a problem. I can handle that part. Fred has his camo suit and I can change the ultra armour to be stealthy. We'll be in and out before anyone even notices us." Hiro looked up at the screen, studying the blueprint.

Fred glanced at his friends, a soft look on his face before he spoke. "I agree with Hiro." That caught everyone's attention. He slid off the couch and stood. "We keep playing the long game, then we might not be able to stop Liv. She could do some extreme damage, like Obake. But if we take a risk and make this direct attack, well, ah, direct sneak, then we could stop her before it gets worse. Besides, villains barely ever expect the heroes taking risks like this."

Hiro smiled lightly at his friend, happy someone understood his idea. The others weren't sure yet, but knew where the two were coming from.

"This could cause more problems…" Honey mumbled, gripping her handbag lightly.

Hiro looked at her and sighed softly. He placed a hand over her hand as he spoke. "Believe me, I know. But we can't keep sitting back and letting her win. She has the entire city wrapped around her finger and we're the only ones who can see past it, so we're the only ones who can do anything about it. We have to stop her before she hurts others, or even mutants them. What if she uses an innocent? Like a random bystander or...a worker of hers, one that doesn't know what's going on."

Honey looked to him, listening to his words, along with sensing something wrong with him. He was implying something, but she couldn't point it out.

Hiro pulled his hand away. "I know this risks all of us, but I'm willing to risk myself for this city and the people in it."

Fred grinned and hopped over, pulling Hiro against him with an arm. "I'd risk myself for this city too."

Gogo shook her head lightly, but couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face. "Well, I can't let you dorks risk yourselves alone."

Honey's worried expression faded, now holding a proud look on her face. "You can't leave your chemical girl behind."

Wasabi chuckled and raised his hands. "Or your laser man."

Hiro smirked, gazing at each of them. "Then let's do this. For us, for San Fransoyko!"

"For San Fransoyko!" They all cheered, even Baymax and Mini-Max in the background.

* * *

Fred stuck to the glass, gazing down at the entrance. He had no fear of being spotted, for he was invisible with his new suit. While it wasn't as strong as his ultra armour, it was more prepared for a stealth mission. Plus, Hiro had giving it some ultra armour-like upgrades so he could keep up with them, along with if they run into any of the mutants.

On the ground below, he saw two scientists exit the building. He couldn't pick up on what they were saying, but it appeared they were waving each other a goodnight before parting ways. It was then that most of Sycorax's lights went out, indicating that many of the workers had gone home and the place with closed. All that to worry about now was security, some late-night workers and even Liv herself.

"Lights out, guys…" Fred murmured into his comm.

Hiro spoke back from his location. " _Alright, once I disabled the biosensing system, you can sneak in and find Liv's office. Gogo will meet you there once her area's cleared"_

Mini-Max flew over to Fred and hopped onto his shoulder. "The entrance is clear of any humans and/or creatures."

Fred patted his head. "Nice job, pal."

Hiro chimed in again. _"You're good to go."_

Fred smirked and let Mini-Max into his suit, allowing him to be invisible too. " _I hear you loud and clear."_

He immediately climbed down the many windows, hopping down to the entrance. The moment he reached them, they unlocked for him, thanks to Hiro. Quickly, he entered and closed the door, making sure not to make any sound. The doors locked themselves again, so there was no going back now.

"Let's see what Miss Amara keeps hidden in her office…" Fred scowled, ready to end this woman's plans.

* * *

Wasabi and Honey Lemon hanged by another window, as it led to a room with an elevator. Wasabi had his blades on as he waited, Honey's hand hovered over her purse.

Hiro's voice spoke up. " _The security on the upper levels is offline for now, make your move and get on that elevator. It'll take you to the cargo and shipment bay."_

At that, Wasabi cut through the window, not only breaking it open, but melting it slightly from the intense heat. He moved in, Honey followed behind as she used her purse to produce the right chemical, fixing the window back together and making it seem as good as new.

"Good luck on your end." Honey whispered to Hiro.

" _Thanks, you too. I'll contact you all once I've gotten to the lowest floor"_ And with that, Hiro went offline.

Honey looked to Wasabi, who had already opened the elevator doors. She jogged over and joined him. When the doors closed, a level had already been selected. For now, they wait until the reached the right floor.

* * *

Hiro pulled away from the open wires, closing the panel back over them. He had down all the programming and hacking he needed to do for now. Hopefully, no one has noticed anything. He glanced at Baymax who stood by a garage door that led into the building. It was the only entrance big enough for the robot without causing a problem.

Hiro jogged over and opened the doors. They slid up, making way for both of them. They crept in, making sure that no one was around. No one appeared to be in the room, thankfully, so they rushed it over to the elevator and waited for it to open.

Baymax looked down at Hiro, noting the small boy's stern facial expressions. "Why did you not tell your friends about your worry over Karmi?"

Hiro bit his lip. He knew Baymax would have asked but now of all times? "Because it doesn't matter. What matters is stopping Liv."

"They are worried about you Hiro." Baymax pointed out.

Hiro mumbled to himself before looking at the elevator, it's doors sliding open. As they stepped in and selected the right floor, Hiro spoke. "They always worry…"

Then the doors closed and they felt the elevator drag down each floor. Hiro had open its panel, making sure he had access to the secret floor he had been in before. But as he did, he noticed something.

"Hold up, there's another sub level?" Raising a brow, he took a closer look. "How did I not notice before?"

Baymax was about to answer when he heard a bing. Glancing up at the numbers, he saw they stopped on the third floor. Hiro heard it too and jumped, flicking around as the doors opened. And who did he see rushing into the elevator? None other than Karmi…

The girl was carrying a lot of paperwork and seemed to be in a hurry, probably was working overtime by mistake. However, she had not expected a giant red robot to be taking up the place and ran into his arm.

"Ow!" She yelped, stumbling back.

'Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap. WHY IS SHE HERE?!' Hiro screamed in his head, freezing on the spot.

Karmi rubbed her face before cracking an eye open. Then both her eyes widened as she realized her she was seeing. She pointed at them and looked like she was about to scream. Without thinking, Hiro grabbed her arm and yanked her in, then rapidly clicked the close door button until they finally closed.

Karmi pulled herself up and flicked around, careful not to bump into Baymax again. "Captain Cutie and Red Panda?!"

Hiro grit his teeth together. He didn't know Karmi would be in work today, mostly because she tended to take Saturdays off. He cleared his voice before putting up his hero facade. "A-ah, yes! It is us."

Karmi beamed, gripping her papers. "And elevator ride with Captain cutie." She squealed. But sadly, that's when it clicked. "Wait…why are you here?"

Hiro faintly cursed to himself before turning back to her. "It's something in secret."

Karmi paused and straighten. "Does Liv know you're here?"

"No, and we want to keep it that way." Hiro informed her, hoping she would just listen.

However, despite her love of Big Hero 6, her love of Sycorax and Liv seemed to nearly be equal. "Hold on, are you sneaking around? Why would you?!"

Hiro fiddled with his fingers. "Look, I really don't want you getting involved and it really is a secret."

Baymax glanced at the numbers on the elevator buttons and noted how the new secret lab's button was glowing. Hiro appeared to be unaware and so was Karmi, who would have wanted to go to the first floor, which they already pasted. He raised a finger to point it out, but Karmi spoke faster.

"But I work here. Is this about Knox, or the Mayois? Because we really have that handled. If you want information on them, you can just ask us." Karmi tilted her head, looking confused.

Hiro rubbed the back of his helmet. "We ah...have reasons to believe Liv Amara is behind the mutants, Miss Karmi."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. She waved her free hand around like crazy. "No, no. You've got this all wrong. Liv Amara is a wonderful person and helps everyone! She would never do this." She then frowned and placed a hand on her hit. "It was Hiro, wasn't it? God, you shouldn't listen to his conspiracy theories, they're all just for attention."

Hiro bit back a sarcastic reply, trying to keep up a professional stance. "Well, yes, he mentioned something. But we also know from experience and have evidence that pinpoints to Liv."

"What evidence?" Karmi questioned.

Hiro glanced away. "Can't share." He closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at her. "Look, I know you see her as an amazing woman, and maybe you are right. But with what we've seen, we need to take a look. If she isn't behind it, then we'll leave and not point the blame on her. But even if there is a chance she could be behind it, we need to take a look at it before more get hurt, do you understand?"

Karmi gazed at him. She wanted to argue, but she didn't know what he had noticed that she hadn't. He seemed confident in his plan and knows he would honour his word of walking away if they found nothing. Still, she didn't want to believe what he was saying. Yet she knew she shouldn't be involved. Clutching her papers closer, she sighed.

"Alright, alright…" She agreed.

Hiro nodded lightly. "Good, now I'll let you get to your floor-"

He didn't have time to, as the doors opened. All three looked out and saw the hidden lab. It looked much like the one that kept Knox, but this one was smaller and less crowded. At the end of the room appeared to be a large pod of some sorts.

Hiro frowned, stepping out of the elevator, gazing around with caution and worry. "What in the?..."

Karmi let go of the breath she had been holding as she followed him. She rubbed her arms, despite wearing her jumper and lab coat, it was extremely cold down here, you could even see your breath sometimes.

Hiro glanced back at her. He was going to order her to leave, but knew her better than that. "Stay close and don't touch anything."

She looked at him, still in shock of the room, and nodded lightly before looking around again. Hiro stalked past many screens, all covered in writing and images. Most didn't match up, all randomly labelled and laid out. But they did appear to be talking about some kind of cure and disease.

"I've never seen this room before. And I thought there was only one secret floor." Karmi mumbled behind him, sticking close.

Hiro felt her brush against him sometimes, but he didn't say anything. In truth, he felt at ease with her close, meaning that he could keep an eye on her and keep her safe if danger arose. It still annoyed him to no end that no matter what he does, she somehow gets involved. He just only hopes she'll make it out without getting in trouble.

It was then that Baymax walked past the both of them, beelining towards the pod. Hiro raised a brow and followed behind. Baymax stopped in front of it, looking it up and down as his eyes indicating he was scanning something.

Hiro walked up the few steps and stood next to his partner. "What's wrong?"

Baymax tilted his head to look down at him. He raised a finger and pointed at the pod. "There is a woman inside."

Hiro's eyes widened. He feared it would be another mutant victim. He pushed in front of his partner and started wiping the fog off the window, but the person inside was not what he expected.

Karmi walked up behind them. She was going to ask Baymax to repeat himself, when Hiro stumbled back, nearly tripping down the stairs, luckily Karmi caught him. She looked over him in a panic, thinking he was hurt. But he only appeared to be in shock, eyes wide with a look as if he saw a ghost,

"Captain, what is it?" She shook him lightly as she questioned him.

Hiro was silent for a moment before mumbling. "How?..." He shook his head and stood back up, moving away from Karmi and to Baymax. "How can it be her?"

Baymax blinked. "It is not her."

"What do you mean?! It's clearly her!" Hiro waved his arms around, shouting in disbelief.

"The DNA does not match up, but are close enough to most likely be her twin." Baymax explained.

"She has a twin!?" Hiro nearly screamed.

Karmi had enough and joined them, squeezing past the both of them. "What's the problem-?" Her eyes landed on the woman in the pod, making her freeze. "...Liv?"

The woman inside looked exactly like Liv, a few minor details different. She appeared to be in a deep sleep, not reacting to anything as the pod monitored her vitals.

"No, not Liv." Baymax corrected Karmi.

"B-but, it looks just like her." Karmi gestured frantically.

Hiro looked at the woman in concern and worry. "More importantly, why she is down here?..."

Baymax looked over the twin. "She appears to be suffering with-"

"None of your business." A sharp, feminine voice spoke up from behind.

The two teens froze to the familiar voice. Karmi was the first to turn, seeing her boss with Chris, both looking angry with a stern expression. Liv's eyes glared at all three of them, so sharply that it could cut anything. Unlike the Knox incident, this appeared to be more serious for her. Her hands were behind her back as she straightened, a small snarl twitching on her face.

Hiro stared at the woman, asleep in a pod. His mind thinking over the finding and having just been caught. But something wasn't adding up. It was then that he noticed a tiny detail on the pod, a note on the vitals.

He then spoke, a dark tone to his voice. "You're not Liv Amara, are you?..."

Karmi looked at Hiro, her face in utter confusion and fear. Liv eyes widen briefly before she huffed lightly, straightening again.

Hiro flicked around. "Who are you then, and why is the real Liv Amara stuck in his pod?"

Liv narrowed her eyes. "You wouldn't understand."

Hiro frowned and stepped down the steps, stopping at the bottom. "Maybe not, but stealing, hurting people and making mutants aren't the solutions."

Liv raised a brow. "As I said, you wouldn't understand any of this. You're just a child trying to play hero. Everything isn't as black and white as it may seem."

Hiro gazed at her, his eyes becoming cold as unwanted memories hovered in the back of his head. "I think I know more than you do."

Karmi finally stepped in, taking a couple of shaky steps until she was next to Hiro. "Liv, you...this can't be true. Please, it can't be."

Liv turned her gaze to Karmi, her eyes softened ever so slightly, but she still looked ready to kill. "You disappoint me again, Karmi. You had a bright future…"

Karmi stepped back a little in fear, sensing the deadly hint behind those words. Hiro raised an arm in front of the girl, having a protective stance.

"Enough of this. I knew you were behind everything and with this, it will prove to the city what you really are." Hiro growled, heart beating fast.

Chris tilted his head, still being eerily silent. He went to step forward, but Liv held up a hand, stopping him.

"Who are they going to believe? Yes, you've helped the city, but so have I. But the difference here, is that one of us isn't on the blacklist of the chief of police." Liv smirked.

And she was right, with the new chief and he anger towards the hero team, the police haven't been helpful towards them. Cruz wouldn't allow the police to check out Sycorax, just because he hated Big Hero 6. But there was a chance he could listen and that maybe someone else will help.

"Maybe they won't believe, but many others will." Hiro stated. "We're witnesses in what you've done, and now all of this? Well, it's just the icing on the cake. With the evidence we can collect just from this room, it's enough to put you behind bars for your whole life."

Liv's smirk vanished as he spoke, her eyes narrowing even more. "...Chief Cruz is right, things would be better off without you…" She raised her hand again.

Chris smirked, cracking his knuckles and neck before pouncing forward with inhuman speed. Hiro could barely react and dodged narrowly, but clumsily. Chris smacked into Baymax and managed to put a dent in the armour. Chris raised a leg and swiped at Hiro and Karmi. The boy reacted again, pulling Karmi back with him before shoving her behind him.

"Get to the elevator, now." He muttered to her.

Her eyes darted around. Her mind was a mess. Everything that happened, it was too quick for her to process. But she understood his orders. She wasn't fit for a fight like this and she could get help if she made it out, so she ducked behind some equipment, making it look like she was hiding, when she was actually sneaking towards the elevator.

Chris went in for a chop. Hiro raised his arm to block, but the force was enough to make him fall. Hiro gasped, already feeling a bruise forming. He narrowed his eyes at Chris, who only looked at him smugly. However, he failed to notice Baymax, who latched onto him and tossed him to the side.

Hiro pulled himself up and looked to his partner. "How is he that strong?"

"He is not a normal human, he has been modified-" Baymax didn't get time to finish as Chris kicked his head, twisting his helmet around.

The man landed, looking to Hiro. "Modified to be the best."

The boy looked to Baymax in shock before turning to Chris in anger. He raised his own fists. Chris dashed forward and struck a couple of times, but Hiro narrowly dodged most of them, getting nicked a few times. Chris was admittedly surprised, unlike most who he fought, Hiro seemed to know how to fight properly, displaying what appeared to be Japanese martial arts. To show off this, the boy dodged again and flipped backwards, smacking Chris in the face with his rather stiff boots.

Chris stumbled back, rubbing his jaw before wiping his mouth. "Impressive…"

Hiro landed back on his feet and straightened. "Unlike the others, I actually learnt how to fight."

Chris smirked, happy for a little challenge, before charging again. The two engaged, but it was clear Chris had the upper hand, getting more strikes on the poor boy. But it wasn't stopping Hiro. Then, when Baymax rejoined the fight again, Hiro used him. Baymax tanked the heavier hits while Hiro slid around the bot, even climbing over him to attack Chris. It provided more of a challenge, facing both an attacker and a defender.

Karmi had been in awe of the fighting, never had she seen Captain Cutie fight so gracefully. But she was also surprised by how Chris could fight, clearly the man wasn't normal and that scared her, given how many times she was around him before.

She snapped herself out of her gaze again and snuck towards the elevator again. She was nearly there. She glanced back at the fight, really not wanting to leave, but she knew she couldn't help here. So she turned back and clicked the opening button.

A hand gripped her wrist suddenly. It was so tight she couldn't get free, already feeling a bruise on her skin. Yelping, Karmi looked up to see Liv, staring down at her with an emotionless expression, but with a tense body. Karmi's eyes widened and she tried yanking her hand away again.

"NO, let go!" She screamed.

Her screams caught Hiro's ears. He looked away from Chris and stopped moving, catching sight of Liv dragging Karmi into the elevator.

"Karmi!" He called out.

Chris took this moment and slid under Baymax and struck the boy from behind, nailing him to the ground. Hiro gasped in pain and struggled to get the superhuman off.

Karmi kept trying to pull away, looking to Captain Cutie for help, but when she saw him trapped as well, she started to panic even more, struggling with her whole body to get away.

"Please, just let me go! Captain, help!" She cried out, her heart beating rapidly as her vision became unfocused from the panic.

"Quiet…" Liv coldly spoke, gripping onto the young girl harder as she closed the doors.

Hiro stared in fright as he saw the two vanish behind the doors, Karmi looking like she was close to tears. He gritted his teeth and pounded a fist onto the floor.

"Red Panda, rocket fist!" He ordered.

Baymax responded quickly and fired it. Chris's eyes widened as the object flew towards him. He held his hands out and caught it, but the impact still flung him back and caused him to crash into a wall. The fist kept him against the wall as he struggled to change its aim.

Hiro knew the fist would stop pushing, so he tossed two magnet discs on both sides of Chris. The man looked puzzled, but as they activated he felt the rocket fist was practically glued to him. With his arms angled awkwardly, he couldn't turn the rocket or move the discs with ease.

Hiro waited for a moment before being sure enough it would hold him for now, even if it meant Baymax lost one fist. He looked to his bot, who had a few dents covering his armour.

"We need to catch up with them." Hiro stressed, not wanting Liv anywhere near Karmi ever again after this.

Baymax turned on his scanner, looking through the walls as he head raised up. "They are on the first floor."

Hiro raised a hand to the side of his helmet, contacting the others. "Guys, Liv knows we're here. She has Karmi hostage on the first floor, we need to save her"

There was a pause before anyone responded. Gogo was the first to finally speak.

 _"We can't! Me and Fred ran into High Voltage."_ She grunted, absolutely moving around to dodge attacks.

Honey popped in, heavily breathing. _"We got Mr Sparkles and the mayois!"_

Hiro's eyes widen in shock, sweat beading down his forehead. So they all had been spotted, how did Liv know they were here?

Chris chuckled lightly, catching Hiro's attention. "Bessie has a way of sensing technology." He lifted his head, grinning madly at Hiro. "Including a certain bot."

Hiro looked back at Baymax, briefly looking down in realisation. He bared his teeth as his fists tightened. He wasn't given up…

* * *

Liv threw Karmi out of the elevator as the door opened. The girl tumbled, slipping on the clean floor and collapsing to the floor. She whimpered lightly before steadying herself, pulling herself up to her feet and looking to Liv.

Liv had pulled out her phone and began clicking on something. Karmi just stared in disbelief at her mentor.

"Why?...WHY DO ALL OF THIS!?" Karmi screamed, fuming with anger but held tears in her eyes that threatened to spill.

Liv looked up from her phone, every part of her facade to the world gone. "You didn't have to be a part of this, Karmi. I let it go after you cured Knox, but this...I can't have people like you around anymore."

Karmi felt fear and stepped back a little. "This isn't you...this isn't Sycorax, this isn't what we wanted to do for the world."

Liv stared at her, thinking to himself before looking down, whispering loudly. "That's what she wanted...but not me." She lifted her head back up, deadly determination in her eyes.

Karmi gripped the ends of her sleeves as she took heavy breaths. "So you want to hurt people, want to create monsters and use the city for your own benefits?"

Liv shook her head lightly. "I thought you would understand…"

Karmi blinked. "What?..."

Liv started to take small steps towards the girl, her heels clicking against the hard floor, echoing around the empty room. "I push those who dare step in my way, to stop me from what is right, from what I want." She stopped in front of Karmi, looming over her. "I know you've gone through the same. How people will trip you, hurt you and make you feel like you're worthless, that you'll be nothing if you don't work, work, work. How people say there are others better than you." Her eyes gazed away as she listed off.

Karmi was still confused and scared, but those words were true. Many people have knocked her around, tattered her trust and make her feel worthless. How those bullies hurt her, how her parents push her, how Hiro seems to upstage her.

Liv snapped back at Karmi. "So, when I finally gained that power they said I would never get, I showed them just how it felt. I knock them down, I hurt them, I show them how life isn't fair. No one can stop me anymore, I can do what I wish and I know I'm right, even if others get hurt. Especially those who wronged me." Her voice was laced with venom, experience laid in those words. "You know that all too well, Karmi. Not only are you smart, but you get me, you've been me. I can help you be like me, I can show you true power…"

Liv was hoping to see Karmi think about it, but to her surprise, the girl slid back, her expression now pure anger as she straightened.

"I don't want that! Yes, I've been hurt, yes I've been upstaged, yes I've been judged and pushed but I don't want to hurt people! I want to help people, heal them, guide them, show them a better future. Your offer doesn't promise that, it offers people to fear me than look up to me. I get you want revenge, you want things to go your way, but revenge and manipulation isn't the answer. It makes you no better than those who hurt us." Karmi ranted, hands gesturing her emotions as she explained herself.

Liv narrowed her eyes. "Someone has to punish them…"

"But in a different way…" Karmi's shoulders dropped. "We can teach them, guide them, help them." Karmi gave an understanding expression. "And in some ways, they're like us. Casted away or attacked by the world, so they lash out at others, living in a never-ending cycle of hatred towards themselves and everyone else."

Liv sighed grimly and gazed down at the floor, staring at her reflection. "That's a world no one can make true. I've tried, many have." She looked back up. "Sometimes you have to take the harsher approach to finally get change." She swiftly pulled out her phone again, typing on it. The shutters slid down and covered the windows and doors, sealing them inside. "Even if it means permanently removing the problem…"

Karmi gazed around, feeling a shiver crawl up her spine, fearing the worst. It was then that they heard the elevator ding. Karmi looked behind Liv, but the woman didn't bother turning, even when the doors were smashed open by Baymax. She didn't even flinch, just blinking lightly.

Hiro stood by Baymax, staring daggers at Liv. "Amara!" he called out.

Still, the woman didn't move. Hiro nodded his head to Baymax, ordering him to grab her. The bot sped towards her, reaching out to catch her. Suddenly, a large shadow loomed over Baymax, and before he could react, Bessie tackled him from above, protecting Liv from Baymax's grasp.

Hiro's eyes widen as the two giants tussled. They wouldn't be able to handle Bessie alone, so he prayed his friends would arrive soon. For now, Baymax would have to handle Bessie, he had to take care of something else.

Making sure both Liv and Bessie were distracted during the fight, Hiro rushed to Karmi, making her jump in surprise.

"Are you ok?" He asked, genuinely concerned and praying Liv didn't badly hurt her.

"My wrist hurts, but I'm more worried about all of this…" Her eyes looked to him for answers. "What do we do?"

"I'm going to find a place for you to hide. We'll handle the rest of this." Hiro explained, taking Karmi's hand.

The girl didn't move. "No, I want to help. Please, maybe I can talk sense into her?"

Hiro bit his lip. The harsh truth was there might not be a way to talk her out of it. Unlike Callaghan, they knew why he was doing what he was doing. But Liv, no one knew, even though they knew of her twin, Hiro knew the subject wasn't something to be spoken about around Liv.

"Karmi, she won't listen. At least not now. We need to stop her and you can't help in that." The boy insisted.

"How do you know it won't work?" Karmi begged to know, eyes watering lightly.

"Because I've done it before." Hiro nearly choked on those words. He was too stressed to keep trying and explain things or makeup something. "Please, you need to hide, this isn't your fight."

"But it is-" Her eyes widened and she grabbed Hiro by the shoulders. "Look out!" She yanked him down with her.

Baymax was flung over them, cracks all over his armour, some pieces even falling off. Green energy crackled around him. Bessie had managed to shut him off. His body slammed into the reinforced walls, crumpling to the ground with no movement.

Hiro let out an anodizing yell. "NO!" Jumping to his feet, which also pulled Karmi to hers, hoping his friend wasn't gone for good.

He didn't have time to see the damage, as Bessie's shadow loomed over the two. Time seemed to slow down as both teens knew what was about to happen. However, Hiro's reaction time was faster. He shoved his hands forward as he spun around at the same time, pushing Karmi away as he turned to Bessie. The meteor bear had swung its claws. Karmi would be safe, but Hiro had to take the damage. The claws smacked his helmet, cracking the glass and even nearly splitting it into two. The impact flung him back and he flew a good distance before smacking into the ground, sliding across it before coming to a stop.

For a moment, the only thing heard was the sound of Hiro's helmet, smacking and bouncing around on the ground before settling. Karmi had landed on her side, the hard floor hurting her ribs. She ignored the pain and sat up, wincing. Her eyes trailed over to Hiro, at first noting the broken helmet, then the body. He had landed on his chest, face against the floor as his bushy black hair covered him. He was still awake, as he started to move, lifting his head up and Karmi's almost fainted at the face she saw.

Hiro shakily lifted himself up with his arms, nearly collapsing again. Blood stained the floor, dripping off from his forehead and lip. He tasted the blood, the metallic taste stuck in his mouth. It was concerning, but the strike to the head has disoriented him, judging by how unfocused his senses were.

Then, a faint voice spoke. "Hiro?..."

He stiffened, raising a hand and touching his face, finally noticing his helmet was gone. His identity was in the open, and there was nothing he could do. So he simply sighed and brushed his hair out of his face, swallowing and moving to stand on his feet, standing with pride. He may be many things, but he wasn't a coward.

Liv's eyes briefly widened before settling. She squinted and looked at the boy, almost confused as she tilted her head. "So, it was you all along?"

Hiro held back a cough but put on a smirk. "W-what, disappointed?"

Liv frowned and straightened. "A little bit."

"At me...or the f-fact you never n-noticed sooner?" Hiro snorted, holding back a flinch of pain.

Liv scoffed. "Bessie, finish this."

Bessie responded with a roar and charged again. Karmi watched, eyes locked on Hiro as he put on a fighting stance, no matter how painful it would be. The look he gave scared her, because that look meant he was ready to fight to the end, that look meant he was willing to die. She couldn't let that happen.

"NO!" She yanked herself to her feet and tried to sprint over, but Liv grabbed her wrist once more.

"Why defend the boy who taunts you?" She lowered her head to be side by side with Karmi, using her free hand to hold the girl's head in place. "Watch him suffer, after everything he's done to us…"

Hiro weakly rolled, but was unable to dodge the attack entirely, feeling the bear claw at his legs. More blood spilt but he didn't stop, rolling around despite the toll it was taking on him, dodging as much as he could. He just had to stall until the others get here, stall until he could figure out something, stall until a miracle could appear.

"Hiro!" Karmi screamed, but he didn't respond, all focus on the mutant.

Hiro rolled between the bear's legs, popping out on the other side of it. It growled and stomped around and shouted a blast. Hiro ducked, noticing how Bessie was going in for another swipe. He intended to move, but as he straightened his legs, one of them finally gave up on him, so he failed to move.

The strike slammed against his chest and sent him flying. However, he landed against the stairs, a large crack could be heard as his body crashed into them. He felt it, it was in his left arm and left leg, maybe even some ribs. Now he couldn't move, his body refused to, some parts of it weren't able to. He felt his blood pumping beneath the pain, seeping out of his many cuts. He felt the red liquid around, sticky and warm, even the smell was drifting around. His vision was failing on him, black spots appearing. He was losing consciousness, he knew it, but he couldn't stop it. He needed rest, he needed blackout and forget about the pain, even if he might never wake up again.

But as he closed his eyes, he heard someone crying out his name repeatedly, it was hard to understand as his blood pumping was much louder to him. He knew who it was, he didn't need to think hard about it. Even though she was still in Liv's clutches, Hiro was glad he saved her from the hit. He had faith his friends would save her. Even if the boy didn't want to die, at least he knows he saved a friend, along with the city. And if there is an afterlife, he knew someone would be waiting for him. So he allowed a small smile before his eyes shut and he drifted off into the darkness.

Karmi nearly burst out crying when Hiro's body fell limp. She couldn't even see if he was breathing from her location. Yet she still kept crying out.

"Hiro! God no, please, Hiro! Get up, please!" She wailed, still trying to get out Liv's grip.

Liv didn't move or even react, her face was neutral, watching the horror in front of her with no smile, no sadness or even disgust, just neutral.

"Bessie, remove the mess." Liv ordered, no life in her voice.

The mutant stalked towards the stairs where the boy laid, intending to finish him. But Karmi was no allowing that, if there was a chance he was still alive, she would not stand here and let it happen. Without thinking, she raised her foot and slammed it down on Liv's own foot. The older woman yelped in surprise, dropping her phone in the process. Karmi grabbed it and dashed forward and looked at the screen. As she had hoped, it appeared to have controls for the mutant.

Bessie reached the bottom of the stairs, taking a moment to sniff some of the blood. Turning her gaze back to the body, she raised a foot to climb up to him, when she suddenly felt off. Her mind was shutting down and she tumbled around, groaning as she collapsed, the ground cracking to her wait. Karmi pointed the phone at her, having clicked her shut off button.

She kept the phone pointed, panting heavily as her whole body shook. She was scared Bessie was faking it or would wake up easily. But the bear didn't move, laying on the ground with no movement. So Karmi moved her gaze to Hiro, the sight of his damage caused her hands to shake so much, she dropped the phone with bounced on the ground, even getting a small crack across the screen.

Dashing forward, nearly tripping over Bessie and over the stairs, she made her way over to Hiro. She froze at her final steps to him, almost stepping in blood. She looked at him with the widest of eyes, a horrified look on her face. She collapsed to her knees and reached over, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him onto her lap as slowly as she could.

The number of cuts, hits, dents and damage he had taken, it was sickening with someone with such a young face. The only hope Karmi felt was the sign he was still breathing, but her mind wasn't focusing on that, only on what she was looking at. She pulled him closer, resting his head against her neck as she finally let her tears loose.

"No...I-I never wanted this...Please, please don't go…" Karmi wept, whispering to the unconscious boy.

Liv's heels could be heard as she walked over, pausing as she kneeled down and picked up her phone. "Why do you care for him? Remember what he'd done to you?"

Karmi's tears didn't stop, but she looked up at Liv with pure hostility "I remember very well...He reached out to me, he listened to me, he offered comfort, he made me laugh, he...he made me happy, when barely anyone else could…" She gritted her teeth and screamed. "Look at what you have done! How can you feel nothing!? He just wanted to help, he wanted to protect the city and you threaten to take him away from us!"

"...I guess you don't understand... " Liv mused.

The two glared at each other in silence, neither dared to make a move. Karmi only held Hiro closer, promising to protect him from whatever came next. But what came next saved them.

Both turned their gaze as a door was busted open. The others had finally made it. They were ready to call out to Hiro and Baymax, but the sight they entered on nearly made their stomachs turn.

"B-Baymax.?" Fred stuttered.

Honey shouted in panic. "Hiro!"

They all made their way down to the steps. Liv smartly moved back a bit, holding her phone closely. Karmi needed a moment to register they were helping, as she held Hiro tighter, for fear of them taking him away. But once they settled next to her, she allowed them to take their youngest member. Wasabi cradled him, looking over his wounds with a protective yet worried gaze.

"He needs help, now." He quivered.

Gogo's fists tightened as she jumped to her feet. "Not before I knock her teeth out." She turned her stance towards Liv, ready to charge.

Honey and Wasabi stayed put, but surprisingly, Fred joined Gogo's side, not saying a word. Everyone could tell how pissed off he looked under the mask.

However, before they moved, Liv raised her phone, holding a finger over a trigger. "I wouldn't if I were you…"

"Give me one good reason, bitch?" Gogo growled, struggling to keep ahold of her cool.

"I didn't want it to come to this." Liv huffed. "But you've exhausted me to the point where I have no choice. So I'll give you this option. I'll let you walk out of here and take that boy to get help, as long as you don't tell the world of what went down here."

Honey gripped her chest. "After what you did?..."

Liv gave a look, annoyed they interrupted her. "Or...I change everyone I've invested into a mutant. Then you'll have a whole city full of monsters. People attacked, crippled and even killed. Believe me, you know how many investments I've made…"

All their eyes widened. Gogo and Fred stood down from their stance, but still glanced at her. They knew she wasn't bluffing, she was desperate and would take them all down with her if she wanted to.

Liv continued. "I know you won't stop trying to find a way to stop me, so I'll allow her to keep trying. But this is all between us, not the city, not the country, not the world. It'll still be fairgrounds. What would you rather, a unleash monsters on everyone and lose the boy...or try and save him, while keeping the city safe for now."

Then there was silence. No one moved, no one said anything. The demands were complicated when you thought into them, but one side was better than the other. Gogo was quick on her decision, placing her hand discs away as she glided over to Wasabi. She knelt down and took Hiro from his, carrying him bridal style. She looked at her friends.

"We promised Tadashi we would protect him…" Was all she said before standing and began walking away, barely looking at Liv as the shutters opened.

Wasabi stood to his feet. He glanced at Fred and both gave an understanding nod, turning to follow Gogo, but along the way they helped Baymax, who was starting to wake up. But the damage and blast clearly made him unstable, so he needed help to walk.

Karmi was looking at her hands, staring at all the blood at painted over her. Silent tears washed her face, her expression empty and tired, barely aware of anything. Honey Lemon didn't say anything to her, knowing how deep in shock the poor girl was in. So she took the girl by the shoulders, gently pulling her up and guiding her out.

Liv actually turned to watch those two walk out, eyes glued to Karmi. She was frustrated, this isn't how things were supposed to go. She lost information and a person, along with who knows how much damage was done to the place. So, she simply turned and strode further into her building, needing to change some plans...


	15. Someone You Loved

**Song is _'Someone You Loved'_ By Lewis Capaldi!**

 **Happy to see you all liked my depressing chapter, haha. So this is another songfic following the aftermath. Also, again, sorry for the lack of posting! I actually got badly sick for a bit. But I've recovered and have returned.**

 **Also, I posted three Big Hero 6 AMVs titled _'MIRACLE - Big Hero 6 - Hiro/Obake/Granville', 'Never Going Down - Big Hero 6 - (Karmiro)' on youtube_ and _'My Demons - Bight Hero 6 AMV - Hiro & Granville'_, if you wanted to check it out.**

 **Also! I decided that you guys can ask me questions, like opinions on characters/relationships, my own headcanons and even future story ideas on Tumblr. They can be about Big Hero 6 or other fandoms I'm in. So you would like to ask me about something, just contact me on Tumblr 'Crystalmoon101'.**

 **But anyway, get ready for more feels! _...I'm mean…..._**

* * *

 **Characters:**  
 **Hiro X Karmi**

 **Baymax**

 **Gogo**

 **Fred**

 **Wasabi**

 **Honey Lemon**

 **Granville**

 **Alister Krei**

 **Aunt Cass**

 **Megan Cruz**

 **Chief Cruz**

 **Karmi's Parents**

 **Many Mentions of Liv Amara**

* * *

 **Warning: Mention of torture and beating, blood, swearing and medical talk/setting**  
 **Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, sadly! Or the song!**

* * *

 _I'm going under and this time I fear there's no one to save me_

 _This all or nothing really got a way of driving me crazy_

 _I need somebody to heal_

 _Somebody to know_

 _Somebody to have_

 _Somebody to hold_

 _It's easy to say_

 _But it's never the same_

 _I guess I kinda liked the way you numbed all the pain_

* * *

Karmi had been barely keeping up with what was going on. Honey Lemon had been pulling her along as all of them dashed away from Sycorax, never looking back. The shock was getting to her, and all she did was being pulled along like a ragdoll. She ignored every sense she had besides sight, which barely held up. She was kind of grateful for this, as now she didn't focus on the feeling and smell of the blood covering her body.

While Honey Lemon carefully guided Karmi with them, Fred and Wasabi stumbled around as they walked with the broken Baymax, his head often twitching, legs refusing to move and arms striking out at random. Gogo was ahead, carrying the beaten Hiro, barely alive and hardly moving.

They kept moving, no one taking a moment to stop. They'd rather be as far away enough from that horrid place before finally stopping. It was once they reached the edge of the city that Gogo finally stopped, cradling Hiro protectively.

Looking to the others, who were catching up, she spoke. "We can't take him like this…They'll want to remove his armour."

Fred panted as he finally pushed Baymax into place, resting his hands on his knees. "And Baymax needs fixing, but Hiro's the only one who knows how."

Wasabi gazed up at the giant robot with caution. Baymax stood stiff, doing his best to keep control over his body and not hurt anyone. His eyes flickered, having been scanning over his damage the entire time they've been walking.

"I require fast repair if I am to help." He stated, head twitching again.

Gogo ignored him. She wasn't trying to be rude, but there were more pressing matters. She laid down Hiro on the grass, for once being slow and soft. Wasabi moved to her side and knelt down. He couldn't bear to look at the small boy. They had failed to protect him, heck, they weren't even there when it happened. They had to get him help as soon as possible. However, Gogo was right. The armour was too risky.

Biting his cheek, he looked to the girl in yellow. "I think we need to remove it, but slowly." He looked back at Hiro, steadily reaching towards one of his hands. "We don't want to damage him more than he already is."

Gogo didn't say a word, helping Wasabi when he stopped talking. While he removed the boy's broken gloves, she worked on removing the boots. Hiro didn't even react, dead to the world with a hauntingly peaceful look on his face.

Honey Lemon had been a little away from the others, tending to Karmi. She knew she couldn't let her see Hiro again, not in this state. So she started looking over the girl, making sure she didn't have any nasty injuries. At first, it was hard to tell because of the blood, which Honey tried not to think about. That's when Karmi finally spoke again.

"...This whole time?" Her voice faltered, almost as if she didn't know how to speak anymore.

Honey lifted her eyes. "Karmi?..."

The girl still stared at nothing, eyes hollow. "He was...him the whole time…"

Honey finally understood what she was trying to say. Sighing, she replied. "Yes, Hiro is Captain."

Karmi finally looked up at Honey, some emotion coming back. "How did I?...He...I couldn't…"

Honey rubbed the side of her arm, comforting her as she knelt down. "Shhh, shhh, easy. You're ok, you're ok…"

Karmi's eyes shook as if she was crying. "I-It's not ok. He got hurt because of me...h-he...he could...die…"

Honey closed her eyes briefly before opening them, a genuine look across her face. "Maybe, but we aren't letting that happen."

The younger girl's breathing was shaky, struggling to breathe. "I didn't listen to him. I-I should have. It's my fault."

Honey frowned lightly, not in a nasty way, but a stern way. "No, none of that was your fault. All of this was Liv's fault. She hurt the both of you."

Karmi looked away, huddling in on herself. "I listened to...to that woman over Hiro. I-If I hadn't followed her, I-"

The hero turned Karmi's head back to her. "You stood up to her and saved Hiro...We have a chance to help him, because of you."

Karmi's eyes watered, blinking quickly. "But he…"

Honey cut her off again. "Is still alive…" She turned her head, looking over to Wasabi and Gogo.

Karmi followed her gaze, watching the two remove the armour. They were about to try and remove the chest plate, but the moment they moved it, it fell apart and slid off the boy. The cut from Bessie had damaged it heavily. Then the worst part, removing the top shirt, then he would be left in his black leggings and a white undershirt. Wasabi had reached for it first, but he backed out the last second. He couldn't be the one to do it. Gogo gave him an understanding look. Even she was finding it hard to do all of this.

The slash to the chest had cut through the armour and both shirts. A deep wound covered his chest, washing blood over his body, some of it already beginning to dry up. Biting her lip, Gogo reached over as Wasabi moved Hiro's arms into a better position. Grabbing the ends of the black shirt, she began peeling it off, sometimes looking away as the sight and feeling were too much sometimes.

Honey had turned Karmi away when it began, despite the girl trying to watch. Fred and Mini-Max watched next to Baymax, keeping the bot steady. He sincerely wished the health companion could help, but it would be too dangerous for both of them.

When Gogo finally remove it, she tossed it onto the pile of broken armour. She let out a sigh, noticing how she held her breath during the whole thing. Still, the boy didn't move or utter a sound, breathing unsteadily.

Gogo wiped her forehead. "That's all of it…"

Honey and Karmi finally joined the group as Gogo lifted Hiro again. Honey took a moment to look over the young boy, feeling a sharp and sickening pain in her heart.

"Let's take them both to the hospital." She spoke, eyes gesturing to Karmi and Hiro.

Wasabi stared down at the broken armour before kneeling down. He scooped the remains up, not caring about the stains his own armour would receive. Glancing at Fred, Mini-Max and Baymax, he turned to the girls.

"You take them. I know someone who can fix Baymax." Wasabi stated.

Gogo looked to him, confused. "Who?"

Wasabi paused before deeply sighing. "Granville…"

Fred's eyes widened. "Then we have to explain to her what happened."

Wasabi looked down at the ground. "She should. She's a part of this team...she deserves to know. And…" He looked up, pain in his eyes. "We can't do this alone…"

No one said anything, but their expressions said it all. They really couldn't do this along. They needed someone, someone older and wiser, a proper adult. It really was too much for the team to bear. Plus, it wasn't fair to leave Granville in the dark, given how close she seemed to be with Liv.

Gogo gave a light nod to the two boys. Glancing at Honey, she gestured to follow as she sped ahead. Honey jogged behind, guiding Karmi along, who could finally move without her legs shaking madly.

The two boys began to move too, walking off with Baymax towards SFIT. As Wasabi balanced the pile of blood covered armour, he made a call to inform Granville to meet up with them.

* * *

 _Now the day bleeds_

 _Into nightfall_

 _And you're not here_

 _To get me through it all_

 _I let my guard down_

 _And then you pulled the rug_

 _I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved_

* * *

Despite what happened at Sycorax, the rest of the city had been quite peaceful, even the hospitals. This one, in particular, Stella Hospital, hadn't had any big emergencies. So you could imagine the rush and surprise when Gogo dashed in, cradling a motionless body of a young boy, covered in blood.

The receptionist up front nearly did a double take. She quickly let out an alert for the nearest doctors and nurses to come as fast as possible, before sliding out from her post and dashing over to the superhero.

Gogo slid to a stop, looking at the woman with pleading eyes. "He was attacked by a mutant with his friend. My partner is bringing the other one, but he needs help, now."

Nurses had arrived, eventually bringing out a gurney once it became apparent how much of an emergency it was. Gogo had been hesitant to release Hiro, even though she knew they were trying to help. It was a strange urge to protect him from everything, but she ended up handing him over, just as Honey arrived with Karmi.

Karmi's eyes darted around, the frantic rushing and talking of the doctors and nurses was nearly setting her off, along with the harsh lighting from the place. She could barely focus, even when a nurse pulled them aside to look over Karmi.

Karmi was thankful they moved to a quiet room before she fell into a panic attack. But as they dragged her along, she looked over her shoulder, staring deep into the chaos happening around her. Her eyes caught sight of Hiro as he was wheeled away, vanishing down the hall. She wanted to go, wanted to stay by him and make sure he was alive. It hurt not knowing if he was breathing right this second, but there wasn't much she could do. So she just let herself be dragged into another room, her thoughts still crashing around in her head.

* * *

 _I'm going under and this time I fear there's no one to turn to_

 _This all or nothing way of loving got me sleeping without you_

 _Now, I need somebody to know_

 _Somebody to heal_

 _Somebody to have_

 _Just to know how it feels_

* * *

Honey Lemon leaned against the wall in silence. She stood outside the room Karmi was in, letting her have some private time with the nurse. The sudden rush of panic had died down, most of it had followed Hiro to the emergency room. Though some of the wandering staff members were talking about it, mostly whispering it around Honey Lemon. No one dared to approach her, given her sullen expression.

When she heard someone skating down the hall, she looked up. Gogo was coming back, having followed Hiro and the nurses until they had started the surgery. She had waited outside, hoping that maybe a doctor would tell her something, but it was too soon for answers.

As Gogo joined up with Honey lemon, she looked up at the taller of the two, seeing a look of desperate hope in her eyes. Gogo's neutral expression falters, knowing she doesn't have anything new to tell her.

"They're taking care of him now…" Was all Gogo could say, briefly looking down at the white floor.

Honey bit her lip, hard. She looked away, hiding her face as she tried not to cry. They couldn't raise suspicion, as seeing the hero crying over a random civilian would be strange. She also knew it wasn't the right time for that kind of thing, holding it on for later.

Gogo offered her comfort, patting and rubbing her roommate's shoulder. However, their quiet time ended, as they heard a familiar voice the pair were dreading to hear. Not because they hated the owner of the voice, but because of how broken, scared and shock they sounded.

"Where's my boy? P-please, his name is Hiro Hamada. I-I'm his aunt!" Cass begged as she dashed into the building, nearly crying at the receptionist.

Honey and Gogo turned to look, sorrow across their face. It seemed it didn't take long for them to contact Hiro's guardian, and the woman had gotten over here, fast.

The receptionist looked at Cass with an understanding gaze. "He's been taken into emergency surgery. I'll page a nurse to take you once it's over…"

Cass's eyes widened in horror. She was aware Hiro was hurt, but the fact he needed surgery so quickly scared her. "N-no, I-I need to see him, now."

The receptionist sighed softly. "I know, Miss. But please, calm down, someone will take you soon…"

Honey couldn't watch any longer, stepping over to Cass. "We can stay with you while you wait…"

Cass flicked around, eyes watering in distress. "P-please…" Her voice broke.

Honey took her hand and guided off to the side. Gogo didn't say anything, looking away, not making a sound, she couldn't look at the poor woman. Honey comforted her, rubbing Cass's back slowly as the woman tried not to burst into tears.

Cass swallowed and looked up at Honey. "W-what happened? He...He said he was visiting his friends, how did he get caught up in a f-fight?"

Honey took a sharp breath, finding the right words to say. "Apparently, he bumped into a different friend along the way. Karmi, I believe, is her name."

Cass's eyes widened, a hand covering her mouth for a moment. "Oh god...is she ok?"

Honey nodded. "Hiro protected her from the attacks…" Honey glanced away briefly. "But one of the rampaging mutants had...run into them. By the time we found them, he had already taken most of the damage."

"Hiro…" Cass whispered, voice shaky and unsure. She squeezed her eyes shut, wiping her face of the tears. "T-thank you...f-for saving him…"

Honey looked at Cass with a hurt gaze as the woman looked away. It was hard lying to her usually, but this was on a whole other level. This was painful, feeling like someone kept punching you in the gut, cutting off your lungs as you struggled to breathe. The guilt was pulling on her.

"I'm sorry we didn't get there sooner…" Honey whispered, cursing at herself for saying such a thing.

"N-no, I know you would have done everything you could have…" Cass mumbled.

God bless Cass was such an understanding person. Honey didn't need her hating Big Hero 6 because of this. She wouldn't have been able to take it. However, her attention was snatched by another sight.

The hospital doors opened, and in walked Keri, followed by Judy. He looked around, unsure of what to do, but a look of worry plastered on his face. Gogo and Honey looked confused but didn't say anything. Cass had, however.

"Alister?..." She uttered, tilting her head as she wiped her eyes.

Keri finally noticed her, nearly freezing at the sight of his ex-date. He seemed nervous to walk over, but he cleared his throat and proceeded to anyway.

"Cass, I am...I was informed about what happened." He explained.

Sniffling lightly, she looked up at him. "How and why?"

He straightened, trying to act strong in this desperate situation. "He's my intern. I made it so I was informed if he...had an emergency." He rubbed the back of his head. "B-but he said it was ok, I'm not trying to sound nosy, I swear-"

She cut him off but latching onto him. She had been wanting a hug someone from someone, but she didn't feel comfortable with the superheroes. She needed someone she knew, even if it was her ex.

Keri was surprised, having thought she would be angry he showed up, or claim he was just trying to help his image. That being said, he wasn't going to deny her, so he wrapped his arms around her and held her gently, letting her rest against him, giving a brief nod to his assistant. Judy nodded and stepped back a bit. He may be rude and often an ass, but he knew the seriousness of the situation, being extremely worried like everyone else.

Then the room to Karmi's location opened. Honey and Gogo stepped the side, allowing the nurse room to exit. He looked to the superheroes.

"She'll be fine. Her parents have been contacted as well." He informed them, walking off to join the other nurses.

Karmi stepped out quietly, looking at the ground, sometimes her hands that held each other. Cass pulled away from Keri, turning to the girl, along with everyone else. She had been cleaned up, blood removed from her face and hands, though it appeared they removed her yellow jumper and Sycorax lab coat, along with her skirt and leggings still painted with patches of blood. Her face had some plasters covering her cuts. Most likely, any cuts or bruises under her clothing has been dealt with too.

Honey placed a hand on her back, gaining the young girl's attention. Honey looked down at her with a concern, yet understanding look across her face.

Cass bent down a little. "How are you feeling, sweetie?..."

Karmi looked up at the older woman, a little bit dazed. "...Tired…" Was all she could say.

Cass sighed softly and straightened. All they could do now is wait, but nobody wanted to say anything. So they each took a seat. Karmi sat between Gogo and Honey, feeling safer between them, while Cass sat between Keri and Judy. Honey had noticed Cass holding Krei's hand, sometimes squeezing it, but he didn't seem to mind.

They had been waiting for nearly an hour when someone else arrived. At first, they thought it was going to be Karmi's parents, but it wasn't. Karmi only realised this when a young girl had dashed up to her, shaking her lightly as she spoke.

"Karmi, are you ok!" Megan's shout echoed in the room.

Karmi's eyes widened, nearly jumping back in fright. But once she finally understood who it was, she relaxed. Placing her hands on Megan's hands, she moved them off her shoulder. "I-I'm fine…"

Megan, noticing how uncomfortable the girl look, stepped back. "S-sorry…"

Chief Cruz followed behind his daughter, looking to Cass. "The hospital reported the attack to me. I'm...I'm sorry about what happened Cass."

Cass looked to her old friend, nodding stiffly, before looking back at the floor. Cruz gazed at the group, frowning lightly when his eyes brush past Gogo and Honey.

"I came to make a report and ask some questions. Megan also wanted to come…" Cruz sighed.

Megan flicked around. "Because when I heard two of my friends were at the hospital, I had to come."

"Megan... " Cruz grumbled. "Please, just take a seat, ok?"

Megan wanted to argue but knew better. Her dad was just trying to do his job, and her panicking wasn't going to help. So she stepped to the side and leaned against a window. Cruz looked over everyone again before speaking.

"Who was apart of the attack?" He questioned.

Honey spoke up. "Just Hiro and Karmi...but we eventually arrived on the scene. It appeared to be the mutant bear making the attack."

Cruz raised a brow, but nodded. "I see…" He looked to Karmi and knelt down. "Can you explain the details."

Karmi blinked and looked at the man. She was aware that Megan's father was the chief of police, but she wasn't liking the tone he was giving around Honey and Gogo. "I ah...well.." She sighed tiredly. "I was walking home from work and ran into Hiro. We were just talking when we got attacked, he saved me but…" She clenched her teeth, flashes of the fight appearing in her head. "H-he...god...He just...t-that thing…"

Gogo narrowed her eyes and jumped from her chair. While she couldn't display her sadness easily, she had no problem with her anger, snapping at Cruz. "Alright, now is not the time to question her."

Cruz frowned at her, standing. "I was not talking to you."

Gogo gave a bitter look, crossing her arms. "Maybe not, but she needs space."

"I just need some answers, and then It'll be over with. It's just part of the job, that I've actually trained on." Cruz countered, putting heavy emphasis on the word 'trained'.

"Then you should know to give space to people who just went through a traumatic event." Gogo hissed, pointing a finger at him.

"An event she should have called the police on." Cruz retorted, crossing his arms. "You failed to show up early, and now a young boy has been placed in critical condition."

Cass looked at her old friend in shock, while Megan jumped to her feet. "Dad!"

Gogo's eyes widened briefly, before narrowing sharply in disgust and anger. "God, this is not the time to be judging us. I get it, you hate us, but at least we were there!"

"And look how that ended up…" Cruz scoffed.

Honey jumped to her feet, placing a hand on Gogo's shoulder. "Don't egg him on…"

Gogo shrugged her off, deep in her rage. She'd been building it up these past hours, needing to direct it at someone. "I didn't start anything. He's the one who doesn't believe we're doing a good job." She growled. "I'd love to hear what the police would have done against that mutant. You know, the one immune to bullets and can shut off technology."

Cruz gave a disapproving look at the young adult. "It wouldn't be about stopping the mutant. It would be about getting Karmi and Hiro out of danger first."

"But you weren't there, we were." Gogo snarled. "We saw the damage, you didn't, we saved that boy from being brutally murdered, you didn't, I carried his lifeless like body to this damn place, you didn't!" Gogo yelled, her voice raw and thick.

Cruz opened his mouth. "We-"

"EVERYONE SHUT UP!" Karmi cried out.

Her booming voice made everyone freeze. She had been quiet during the whole fight, staring blankly at the floor. Now, her gaze was on all of them, tears rushing down her face as she bared her teeth, an agonising look of anger and sadness across her face.

"Please, just enough! It doesn't matter who did what, because Hiro could be dying, even dead at this point, and it's all because of me! So please, stop!" She exploded, followed by whimpering, hiccups and shaky breathing.

Then a new voice spoke up, belonging to a woman. "What is going on?!"

Everyone turned, seeing Karmi's parents who looked displeased at the sight they watched. Deborah stormed past Cruz, giving him and Gogo as harsh stare before pulling her daughter close to her. Deborah held Karmi protectively, letting her child cry against her. Gad moved in front of them, blocking everyone's view of them as his wife comforted Karmi.

Cruz cleared his throat, looking away ashamed as he spoke. "I'm sorry, I was-"

Gad raised a hand, cutting him off. "I don't care...we'll be taking our daughter home."

Cruz looked behind Gad and went to speak again, but he felt someone take his hand. Looking down, he saw Megan. His daughter shook her head, giving her father a look, telling him just to let it go. He stared at her before sighing in defeat, stepping to the side.

Gad nodded at the policeman before looking to his wife. The pair didn't say a word as they began to walk off, guiding their sobbing daughter of out the hostile environment. Honey felt a sharp pain as she heard Karmi's cries. She looked at Gogo with a harsh look. Gogo looked down, ashamed and stepped back, retaking her seat.

Cruz looked at the others, each staring at him in disapproval. He understood, he should have kept a level head and shoved his opinion to the side. He didn't say anything to them, only turning away and walking off to go talk to the doctors.

Megan watched her father leave, sighing to herself. Turning, she looked to Cass, who buried her face into her hands. Keri glared at Cruz as he walked off, before quickly going back to comforting Cass.

Cass's breathing was shaky. "I j-just want Hiro to be ok…I can't lose another one of my b-boys…"

Honey and Gogo looked away at the mention of their old friend. The wounds were still fresh from that day, so none of this was helping.

Keri rubbed her back. "He will...he'll get all the best medical care this place has to offer."

Cass sniffled, wiping her nose. "I can't afford the best…"

Keri frowned and looked to Judy. "I can. Judy, can you handle the bill when it's made?"

Cass's eyes widened, and she looked at Keri in shock. "W-what? N-no, I can't do that…"

"I don't mind…" Keri reassured her. "I can afford it, and I will pay for it. You both deserve the best...he deserves the best." He sighed, fiddling with his fingers. "This shouldn't have happened to you both, you've been through enough already."

She looked at him, almost as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. After her date with the man, she assumed all he was was a greedy corporate man who cared about no one else, even after what Hiro told her with what happened with him, Gogo and Keri in the woods. However, this was a different side of him that he was not faking. He understood how dire this was, knew how hard it would be for Cass and Hiro and is doing what he can. He might not be the best with emotional support, but he knew he could handle the financial and medical support for them.

Cass's eyes watered as she stared at him softly. Her eyes drifted down at his hands. Reaching out, she placed her hand over them gently. Keri looked at her, blinking.

She gave a soft smile. "...Thank you…"

* * *

 _It's easy to say but it's never the same_

 _I guess I kinda liked the way you helped me escape_

 _Now the day bleeds_

 _Into nightfall_

 _And you're not here_

 _To get me through it all_

 _I let my guard down_

 _And then you pulled the rug_

 _I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved_

* * *

Granville tapped her foot, waiting in one of the labs. She had arrived early, already switching on the lights and some equipment. Wasabi hadn't told her much, only that they needed help fixing something, along with saying he would explain everything once they arrived. However, she was slightly worried, having noted how nervous and even broken Wasabi sounded.

She glanced at the clock once again, when she heard something tumbling around in the halls. Opening the door, she peered out, looking left and right until spotting Fred and Wasabi trying to guide the broken Baymax down the hall.

Her eyes widened slightly, not having expected Baymax to be the one needing fixing, but then she was confused, wondering why Hiro couldn't do it. But she opened the door wide enough for them, watching them practically drag the bot inside.

"Andddddd, there!" Fred huffed, placing Baymax into the centre of the room.

Wasabi panted lightly, resting his hands on his knees. Fred pulled the top of his mask off, taking deep breathes as Mini-Max landed on his shoulder.

Granville closed the door before turning to them. "Can you explain to me why Baymax is twitching like mad, along with why Hiro can't-" She froze.

She had finally noticed what Wasabi was carrying. At first, she didn't recognise it, but the colours suddenly made her realise it was Hiro's armour, at least that's what she thought it was. It had been torn apart, covered in blood.

Speed walking over, she snatched the cracked helmet out of Wasabi's grip, surprising the man. She stared at it, scanning over the long crack across it and the patches of blood. Her eyes looked up at them, worried, but her voice sounded stern, almost angry.

"What happened?" She demanded.

Fred and Wasabi exchanged scared looks. Fred paused before nodding to the other man, Wasabi sighed tiredly, shoulder slumping as he thought about his wording.

"Granville...Hiro...he's...he's in the hospital." Wasabi murmured, almost too scared to even tell her the story.

The older woman's eyes widened before narrowing. "How?"

Wasabi looked at her, daring to make eye contact. She was angry, naturally, but she looked desperate as well, worried about what has happened to her youngest student. It pained him to have to tell her the truth, but he knew he had to, for she deserved to know.

Wasabi cleared his throat and straightened. "We've had suspicions that Liv was creating the mutants...So, we decided to sneak into Sycorax to see if we could find any evidence...but it didn't end well." He eyes lowered, tone soft but quiet. "We had split up to search the place. Hiro was going to check the sub-levels, when he ran into Karmi by mistake, accidentally getting her involved." He looked back at Granville, seeing her listening deeply, her eyes widening the more he talked. "They found out there was another secret sub lab, but...Liv found them." His fists tightened. "She was behind it all. She had the mutants attack us, while she dealt with Hiro and Karmi. By the time we got there...Hiro was already brutally beaten up and unconscious." Biting his lip, he pushed away the dark thoughts about the young boy. "He protected Karmi by taking the fight alone. He was barely alive when we finally got to him…"

Granville's eyes stared in disbelief. She stepped back, almost falling backwards, but managed to sit down on one of the couches in time, dropping Hiro's helmet in the process. Her eyes gazed at nothing as she processed the story, a hand rubbing through her hair.

"Liv…" Granville sputtered, not believing in it. "Why would she?..."

Fred's eyes lowered. "We don't know…"

Granville's eyes suddenly darted up. "What about Hiro? Karmi?"

Wasabi stepped back a little. "Honey and Gogo took him and Karmi to the hopstial. We haven't been updated on the situation though…"

"I….I see" She looked down again, feeling numb suddenly.

Wasabi gazed at her, raising a hand towards her. "Professor Granville-"

Granville pulled herself up, looking down with slightly narrowed eyes. "'I'll process this in my own time…" She swallowed, trying not to lose control over her emotions.

Her heels clicked as she walked straight past the two boys, stopping in front of Baymax. Wasabi and Fred look at each other in worried. Granville had already had her fair share of traumatic events, but this was clearly something different, and she was reacting strangely, thus, they didn't know what to do.

She looked at the bot who had powered down once they stopped moving him. Her eyes narrowed when they saw the cracks and dents in the armour. Anger and sorrow boiled inside, but she didn't dare show it. "I assume that's why you brought him here…"

Neither said anything, but Fred nodded. Granville rubbed her forehead, thinking.

"Very well...I'll do what I can." She turned to them. "You may leave…I'll keep you updated on the progress."

Wasabi went to say something, but Fred nudged him with his elbow, cutting him off. He gazed at his friend with a look, saying they should leave her be. He knew she needed time alone. Plus, Fred just wanted to go home at this point, wanting to process everything alone, much like Granville.

Wasabi sighed and nodded at his friend. "We'll keep you updated too…"

The pair and tiny bot turned and started to exit, but each glanced back for a moment. Granville stood still in front of Baymax, merely staring at him. They gave concerned looks but didn't say anything, walking off.

Granville tuned into their footsteps, waiting until she couldn't hear them anymore. Once they vanished, she wanted another moment before walking up to one of the desks. It was covered in papers, books and some essential school equipment, like pens and calculators. She suddenly slammed her hands on the desk and swiped everything off it, violently.

Dropping onto the chair by the desk, she rested her elbows on the now clean table, planting her forehead against her fists. She couldn't bear the thought of losing two students she was close to. Obake already died with past issues against her. Her and Hiro still had problems to work out, especially with what had happened during the catastrophe. She didn't want to fail on another close student, not again.

So she sat there for a while, trying to calm herself late into the night, alone. Her soft whimpers echoed in the room and some of the halls...

* * *

 _And I tend to close my eyes when it hurts sometimes_

 _I fall into your arms_

 _I'll be safe in your sound till I come back around_

 _For now the day bleeds_

 _Into nightfall_

 _And you're not here_

 _To get me through it all_

 _I let my guard down_

 _And then you pulled the rug_

 _I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved_

 _But now the day bleeds_

 _Into nightfall_

 _And you're not here_

 _To get me through it all_

 _I let my guard down_

 _And then you pulled the rug_

 _I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved_

 _I let my guard down_

 _And then you pulled the rug_

 _I was getting kinda used to being someone you loved_


	16. A Different Figure

**_HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHeyyyyyyyyyyy_ ….sooooooo, I feel awful for leaving you all hanging in moments of despair and cliff hangers, I'm becoming like the show writers. Things just got really busy. I had to deal with my mental health, had a fall out with the show and fandom as I watched other shows, I really wanted to spend time on my art and so own.**

 **But once again, the new episodes inspired me. Especially the two-parter, City Of Monsters. Of course, as I guessed, my story is not going to end up like the show's version of the story. I have some plans to make it close to cannon, though of course, some things will be different, like Di and Karmi knowing Big Hero 6's identity, along with keeping the whole Liv has a twin sister idea. Don't get me wrong, the clone idea wasn't bad, but I like the twin idea better, adds more emotions to the story.**

 **I'll try and get back into writing, but no promises. I'll do my best with what I've got. But let's get back with crying about these poor friends.**

* * *

 **Characters:**

 **Hiro X Karmi**

 **Granville**

 **Baymax**

 **Gogo**

 **Fred**

 **Wasabi**

 **Honey Lemon**

 **Diane Amara**

 **Gad (Karmi's father)**

* * *

 **Warning: Flashbacks/mentions of a traumatic event**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, sadly!**

* * *

Ringing, that's what Karmi could hear first. Groaning, she peeled her eyes open, eyes staring at the glowing numbers on her clock, the blasted thing blaring an alarm. The dreaded machine screaming at her to awake. For a while, she simply stared at it. Her body was mostly numb, minus the few minor injures still healing, like the cut on her cheek, covered by a bandage. Her dark brown eyes blinked, forcing herself to stay awake and risk sleeping in. Once she was sure she could manage herself, she slapped the shutoff button, the alarm vanishing.

Rolling onto her back, glaring at the roof, she took a deep breath and sat up. Gazing over her bed, she saw how much she must have tossed and turned again. Blankets tossed about or curved, some even tossed off the bed. Typically she was a still sleeper, but ever since that night, she became restless.

Shaking her head, she put those thoughts away again, but always lingered. Memories flashing in twisted nightmares, the sudden sense of smelling blood, feeling no control over her body as words bent her mind. No matter how many times she tried to ignore them, she could still hear them whisper.

Brushing her fingers through her hair, she felt the knots and huffed. It appears her morning routine would be longer than usual once more.

* * *

Fixing her new jumper into place, she jogged down the stairs. Usually, she would find her breakfast in the microwave, parents already off to work. So it came as a surprise to see her dad still around, sitting at the tablet as he messed around with his work tablet.

Gazing at him, she wasn't sure what to say. "Ah, morning, dad…"

Gad looked to his daughter with a soft look, giving her a warm smile. "Morning, honey." Placing down his tablet, he shuffled in his seat to look to her. "How are you feeling today?"

A very frequent question towards her. It had only been a week since that day, but it still felt like it was just yesterday. She forced herself to go back into her bubble to hide her emotions, but the more she opened up, the harder it was to go back to it.

Karmi grabbed her breakfast off the counter, moving to the table. "The same, I guess."

Gad gave her a knowing look. He and his wife were worried for their daughter. What happened was nothing either of them could understand, nor did they know everything that happened. She refused to talk about Hiro and the events that occurred. At least she was more honest about how she was feeling, even if it was vague.

She sat down on the opposite side of the table, slowly consuming her breakfast, no matter how much her stomach wanted to stop her. But as she ate, she glanced side to side, thinking, as they both sat in silence. Gad waited before returning to his tablet.

As she just finished up her toast, she felt her phone buzz. Her father took notice but didn't say anything. Karmi moved her hand to it, pulling it out of her phone and checking it. It was a message from Honey Lemon.

 _'Morning, Karmi! OwO' - HL_

Karmi felt a tiny smile. Ever since learning the truth, the gang had given their contacts to her, in case she needed questions or support. Honey Lemon apparently liked greeting everyone in the morning with a sweet text. Brushing a finger over he phone softly, she clicked her phone off and placed it away. But it did remind her of something.

Looking up, she glanced shyly at her father. "Hey, dad?"

Gad looked from his tablet again, raising a brow. "Need something?"

Clearing her throat awkwardly, she replied. "I was wondering if you could ah...drop me off to SFIT today."

His eyes widen momentarily. "Are you sure? It's only been a week. You know the school doesn't mind you take a break, after what happened…" His gaze softened.

Karmi sighed, rubbing the back of her head. "I know, I know. But I feel coped up and just...miss it. And missing out of work makes me even more stressed, ya know?"

He looked at her, unsure and not convinced. Remembering her cries and sobs at the hopstial as they took her away haunted him.

The young girl gave pleading eyes. "Please, it doesn't have to be for the whole day. I could leave at lunch if I don't feel good."

The man paused, rubbing his stubble lightly. His protective side was screaming at him to not listen, that she was safer at home to relax and rest. But his logical side knew better. Keeping her caged up with barely any distract would never heal her, she needed to step out and take things slowly. He just wanted what was best for her.

He took a deep breath. "Ok, but call your mother or me if anything happened…"

She smiled warmly, rubbing her fingers together out of nervousness. "Thank you, I promise it'll be fine, I have...friends." The word left a tingle on her tongue.

* * *

When she first arrived at school, she had been a little late, gathering what she needed and working on her courage. Once clearing it up with the office, they let it slide and welcomed her back, offering any support they could offer. Her dad wished her luck, gave her a hug before driving off to work.

Her first two classes had made her anxious. The teachers were reasonably surprised to see her, but accepted her into the lesson. She had taken her regular seat, which no one seemed to have claimed. But the students were different. Many stared at her during class, quickly looking away when she turned to them. She could also faintly hear them whispering, but could barely pick up on what they were saying. She had noted a few sentences, such as.

 _"Did you hear what happened to her and Hiro?..."_

 _"Didn't think she had it in her."_

 _"I thought she was in the hospital with him."_

They made her feel sick. They had no right to judge the situation, her or Hiro. They didn't know the truth, fooled by what the media and Liv gave out. But she couldn't hate them, for she had been like them too, only believing what few said. It was only the nature of humans. That didn't mean it hurt, making her feel more outcasted. She didn't let it show though, keeping up a neutral expression.

Her facade briefly broke to confusion in her second class, seeing a different teacher who was clearly not Granville. The replacement teacher was a relatively young and sweet woman, the opposite of the school dean. Karmi took a moment to ask about Granville, but the teacher only stated that the older woman was busy with a personal project.

Puzzled, Karmi took her seat and thought about it throughout the class. Then, finally, the first break came. Hopefully, she could calm her nerves. At least she had a free period next, could catch up with some personal projects.

When she arrived, she auto-piloted herself towards her normal table, alone. But a voice called out, snapping her out of it.

"Karmi!" Honey shouted, waving a long arm happily. Some students even looked at her, giving strange looks.

Blinking, the young girl changed her course, joining the gang at their table. Wasabi shuffled over to give her a seat. Giving him a thankful nod, she sat, placing down her tray of food.

Honey beamed. "Someone told me you were in today. So glad you came out today."

Fred gave a friendly smile, leaning over to Karmi for a moment. "Can't keep any geniuses away from this place for long."

That made Karmi give out a small chuckle. Fred grinned and sat back in his seat, happy to make anyone laugh, no matter how little.

Wasabi looked down at her. "Has the day been alright so far?"

She paused at his question, rubbing a finger over her other hand. "I suppose so, except for all the whispers and stories going around." She huffed lightly, frustration ticking away at her.

Gogo straightened in her seat, popping her gum before chewing it up again. "Ignore them, it was bound to happen." She leaned back into her seat. "Besides, they don't know anything that really happened."

Honey gave the other girl a look, noticing the hint of grim in her voice. Karmi had noted it too. On the one hand, she expected this and felt sorry for them, missing two of their friends, making the table seem more distant than usual. But on the other hand, she was thankful she wasn't the only one dealing with it. Honey and Fred appeared to be trying to keep the joy and hope, Gogo trying to hold back snapping or being blunt and Wasabi was the silent voice trying to stay calm. A broken bunch they were, adding Karmi into the mix.

Fred sipped his juice before looking back at her. "So, how long are you staying for the day?"

Karmi bit the inside of her cheek. "Ah, as long as I can manage, I guess."

Wasabi nodded softly in a knowing fashion. "That's alright, you're already doing a lot."

Honey clasped her hands together. "Maybe another day you can hang out with us out of school. We always go shopping, hang around Fred's house or visit the…" Her face fell, glancing away. "Lucky Cat Cafe." She cleared her throat.

Karmi felt her hands tighten by mistake. She wasn't even aware of what was going on with Hiro's home. She could only imagine how distraught his Aunt must be, griefing while running the cafe. Poor little Mochi was probably confused about why he was missing another human. Then again, she wasn't even aware of Hiro's current condition, refusing to go back to the hospital.

Her eyes darted up. "How is he?" She spouted out.

The group looked taken aback briefly. Guilt and worry spread across their faces as they looked to one another, as if having a silent conversation. Gogo placed her hands on the table, always being the first to speak, but even her voice was wary.

"They said he was recovering, waiting to see how well his body takes the medication." Her eyes looked away. "There will be scars once it's all healed…"

"Oh…" The young girl murmured. It was all she could say.

It was good to hear the surgery went well, but they still weren't out of the dark. And now everyone was in a sombre mood, thanks to her. She had to change the subject again. Thinking, she did remember something else she wanted to ask.

"Ah, where's Granville? I was only told she was working on a project…" Karmi asked, an uneasy tone to her voice.

Wasabi tapped his food with his fork. "She's repairing Baymax still. The school let her take one of the personal labs to fix him."

Fred rubbed a hand over his hair and beanie. "We've checked up on her a few times, but she's not in a talking mood."

Rubbing her arm, Karmi looked at the table. "And Baymax?"

The tallest girl spoke up. "A lot better, but not quite fixed, especially with movement."

Fred chuckled to himself. "Ya, he slapped me the other day when Granville asked me to give him a high five. The test didn't go quite as planned."

Everyone looked to him, either smiling or giving a small chuckle. Karmi was thankful someone could change the mood, even just a little bit. But more questions plagued her. She knew she couldn't ask all of them today, but she allowed one to be spoken.

"Can I ask you guys something?" She looked around the table.

They all looked to her, some tilting their heads. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She could trust them, they trusted her with their secret.

"You really are Big Hero 6...It started with Callaghan, didn't it?" Karmi asked, timidly.

Each gave a different face, mixtures of thinking, caution and sorrow. It was all a long story, but it didn't harm to provide a brief explanation.

Honey bit her tongue before talking first. "Yes. Hiro started it with just trying to stop him with Baymax. We didn't know it was Callaghan, we only knew they must have started the fire, along with stealing the microbots."

Fred piped in. "We only joined when Hiro knew he couldn't do it alone. We wanted to help after what happened." Tapping the table, he pulled a doleful face. "It wasn't an easy beginning, but we saved the day eventually."

Gogo removed her gum. "After that, we just wanted to get back to our normal lives. Most of us." She gave Fred a look, the man quickly raising his arms in defence. "But more and more events happened, and we got pulled it again."

Karmi's eyes widened, nearly slapping her hands on the table. "Wait, you nearly quit?"

Wasabi took a sharp breath. "Ya, it was meant to be a one-time thing." Swirling a straw in his drink, he looked to her. "What happened was personal. We all needed closure, stopping something that we were a part of. A lot of it for Hiro." He sipped his drink before wiping his mouth. "Though it became clear this isn't something you can simply back out with ease."

The young girl slowly looked away, thinking over their words. It really was much more than she ever imagined, her stories barely touched the surface of everything. "Do you regret coming back into the superhero business?"

Once again, they all paused to ponder the questioned. It was a personal question, so the answer would not be simple. Gogo, once more, spoke up.

"We weren't sure at first. But we've gotten so into it that we just accepted it to be apart of our lives." She tapped her fingers together. "But that doesn't mean it's bad. It has its excitement and rewards. Stopping the bad guys build confidence and peace, seeing how you save people and encourage them to be something more, to not be scared."

The other girl smiled at her roommate before looking back at Karmi. "But it does have it's downsides. People are quick to judge or expect so much of us. We're happy to offer our service, but many think we're invincible. We risk ourselves for so much, and moments can make us questions ourselves."

Wasabi grimaced. "And some situations don't end well…and we end paying for it too often." Before Karmi could speak up, he continued. "But when we do save the day or make mistakes, we learn so much from it. We've grown from it and guided people around us. Of course, not everyone is going to agree, but I am happy with what we've done." He looked up. "My courage has been growing."

Fred patted the other man's back. "I've been learning to focus more."

The two older girls glanced at each other, Gogo mumbled. "I've been learning to be more open with emotions."

Honey rested her head on her shoulder, smiling. "And I've been learning that not everything is going to be peachy and friendly."

Fred looked to Karmi. "And Hiro has been learning how to change himself for the better."

Karmi's eyes gleamed with awe. To think such a chaotic and wild team could be so thoughtful, wise and sincere. It really hurt to think about how she felt they were a bunch of weirdos.

Gogo smirked to herself. "We enjoy it, but we do acknowledge it's hard. We'll sometimes lose, win sometimes. But it helps us and others…"

And they were right. All that they face and live through, it teaches and shows them more of the world and what they can do. Along with guiding people, much like Karmi. What they inspired her to do, the courage and spirit she's grown over time, watching them. They were even inspired by her. But it made her wonder about Hiro's view. His friends couldn't know everything he feels, no doubt he has different viewpoints. The beginning of their story was harsher and more personal for him. What happened to his brother, his idol and invention. But he wasn't here right now, all she could do is wait and hope. For now, she would settle with his friends.

* * *

When break finished, everyone presumed Karmi left to her personal lab to work in. However, she had more questions, but for someone else. She prayed she could find the right room before time ran out.

Trailing down the halls of vacant senior labs, she scanned over ones she knew had no owners. With every step, she felt a little light-headed, even scared. She doesn't know what their reaction would be, if they would give her the details she was looking for.

But when she heard the muffled sounds of annoyed grunts and a familiar bot asking questions, she briefly forgot about her fear. Peering in through the hazy windows and door, she could make out a dark figure and white figure. Tapping the door handle, she was relieved it wasn't locked.

Peering in, she saw Granville, seemingly trying to fix Baymax's eyes, who wasn't wearing his vinyl covering. Didn't seem to be going well, given the frustration plastered on the older woman's face. She didn't look at Karmi.

"Give me a moment, Mrs Fell." She huffed, tapping Baymax's head. "If this is about the meeting, I already told you I would be busy."

Karmi stood there, awkwardly. She gave Granville a moment, but the woman still didn't notice. The girl raised a hand and cleared her throat.

Granville's eyes widened, and she twirled around. "Karmi?"

The girl in yellow nodded shyly, hands behind her back. "Ya, it's me."

Granville rubbed her forehead. "Sorry, sorry. Thought you were one of the teachers." She stepped back from Baymax. "How is that?"

The bot blinked a few times, gazing around the room. "Better, but my scanners are still not working."

The dean grumbled to herself, rubbing her face. It was always the scanners that caused the most problems. Even with Tadashi and Hiro's notes, it seemed like a painful process.

Baymax looked to the young guest. "Hello, Karmi."

Karmi simpered and waved a hand. "Feel better, Baymax?"

"I am getting there. Thanks to Professor Granville." The bot looked to the older woman.

Said woman was flicking through notes again. "Not without a struggle." She mumbled.

Peering at the notes and clutter, Karmi walked up to her. "I can lend a helping hand. It is my free period."

Granville looked down at her, pondering. But when she looked at the clutter herself, she gave in with a sigh. "If you could, please."

The girl understood and nodded. Granville walked back to Baymax, looking over his robotic skeleton. Glancing over the notes and squinting closer to a specific part of the bot, she held out her hand towards the girl.

"Can you hand me the screwdriver with the orange handle?" She asked.

Glancing around, Karmi quickly spotted it, sticking out from the other tools. She handed it over to her teacher, watching her work. As she stood in silence, the more she wanted to talk. She knew it was going to be awkward, but the longer she waited, the more it would be strange to talk about.

"The others said you've been quiet." Karmi stated, already rubbing the back of her head.

Granville paused in her work, no expression on her face, but her eyes hinted emotion. "I've been busy."

Karmi sat on the desk, looking over the bot. "I'm surprised they let you work on him."

The older woman moved to Baymax's chest as she talked. "Given it concerns one of our students, I was allowed to. Along with the fact that Baymax is registered as Hiro's service bot, the hospital was hoping he could come in when fixed to help."

"True." Karmi muttered, resting her hands on her lap. The awkward silence was eating away at her. "Have you...visited him?"

It made Granville pause again, but her back was turned to the girl, so she couldn't reread her face. "...No…"

She didn't say anything else, but Karmi could understand. The woman had to stay professional, despite how close she and Hiro had become. It made even more sense when the girl learned that the dean was working with the team, knowing their identities. But that brought up her other question.

"So, when did you learn the truth….about them?" She asked, rubbing her arm.

Granville paused again, choosing her words carefully. Taking in a light breath, she sighed and looked to the girl. "I had my suspicions for a while, ever since I met them as my students. At first, I just thought it was a silly theory. But the more I watched." She placed down the screwdriver, grabbing another tool. "The more it made sense. The jumpy attitudes towards certain topics, their sudden knowledge of events they shouldn't have known, all the disappearances and strange injuries. It was all pinpointing to them. I only revealed to them during the near catastrophe months ago. I was worried about them and had information on the event they wanted to prevent." She looked back at Karmi. "Ever since then, I've been helping any way I can."

The girl glanced away. Seems her teacher had a keener eye than her. It made Karmi wonder how she never noticed sooner. She had the clues, the hints and even pictures, but it never clicked. Maybe it was the thought of denial, her mind twisting the secret to what she wanted. Granville was more logical and wiser than her, while she had been a hormonal fangirl of a teen.

"I'm sorry you were left in the dark." Granville snapped her out of her thoughts. "But I promised to never tell."

Karmi waved her hands. "No, no, I get it." Leaning back, her eyelids lowered. "I've seen some of the damage it can do."

Those words make the teacher turned to her student, staring at her. She hadn't been there to see what happened to her and Hiro, but she could only imagine the damage it's done to the two.

Karmi snapped her gaze back to her. "I just wish I had listened to him sooner…"

Granville straightened. "Karmi…" She uttered. "You can not blame yourself for the events resulting in all of this. You were as much as a victim as the others."

The girl slid off the desk. "But he tried helping me, warning me about...about her! Now look where it's gotten us."

The older woman sighed, placing down her tool. "I understand, but what will unneeded blaming do for this situation?"

Karmi went to argue back, but she had nothing. She was right, ranting about the blame and tossing it around solved nothing, but it wouldn't leave. Guilt wanted her to be the one at fault.

"And you weren't the only one fooled." Granville turned her eyes to the window, gazing out of it. Her eyes were full of sorrow and hurt.

Those words made Karmi perk up. "You knew Liv, right?... The real one."

The woman didn't look back, but her eyes fell to the ground. "I hope I did."

Rubbing her hands nervously, Karmi stepped forward. "Did you ever notice anything? Something that hinted to when...this imposter might have switched with her?"

Pressing her tongue against the roof of her mouth, Granville thought over it, pulling memories together. "I suppose when I finally met up with her again, bringing her to SFIT. I didn't think anything of it, but ever since then, she did come off as more...pushy. But I always assumed that finally owning her own company changed her a little."

The young girl thought over it. It was sad to hear the Liv she knew this entire time was fake. Looking up, she asked another question. "How did you even meet Liv?"

Taking the seat, the dean thought back to some older memories. "It would have been roughly five or four years ago, before I came back to SFIT. I was still jumping around jobs. Around that time, I offered to help tutor students at a different university. That's where I met Liv." She smiled fondly. "She was a fairly popular student, always offering a hand to help, caring and eager to learn. But she did struggle with technology in some aspects. So I tutored her, finding myself gaining a friend when I thought I was only working." Her smile vanished. "But I had to leave once again, I wasn't planning to stay long. But we kept in contact, until one year she didn't respond, it was around the time her company kicked off and became well known." Tapping her fingers on the desk, she frowned lightly. "Then out of the blue, she called me, asking about the students and the school, mostly about medical things. Which is when I mentioned Baymax, and she wanted to come back to see him."

They both looked to the robot, remembering how quickly Amara dismissed him and Hiro, turning the focus onto Karmi. The boy had seemed so eager to show off his brother's invention. Even Karmi felt bad for him when Liv turned the other way.

Looking back at Granville, she spoke. "Did she ever mention her family?"

The dean raised a brow, but remember the team had mentioned something about a twin. "A little. Her parents had actually died earlier the year I met her. She had been living with her twin sister at the time, the two barely affording their home and schooling. But her sister didn't go to the same school as her. Apparently, she didn't qualify."

"What was her name?" Karmi narrowed her eyes.

"Diane Amara. I never met her and Liv tried not to bring her up. I could never understand why…" She looked up at her student, realisation in her eyes. "You think?"

"It has to be. The other one is the real Liv Amara...It has to be her sister." Karmi argued.

"I will admit, it does make sense. But don't jump to conclusions yet. We need to think this through." Granville urged, knowing how impulsive the girl could get.

Karmi opened her mouth, but after a moment she shut it. There was no way she could push this further, especially not with Granville. At least they had a theory, would have to bring it up with the others.

The teacher sighed. "But that's all I know. Liv was very private about her home life."

She girl shook her head. "No, you've given more than enough." Stepping over to Baymax, she brushed a hand along his metal arm. "You've done a lot for us...for me." She turned to her teacher. "Hiro told me that you introduced us, because you were worried about me…"

Granville's eyes widened, glancing away. Almost as if she was embarrassed. "You both needed help, I thought it would be a good match."

Pulling her hand away from Baymax, she smiled warmly at Granville. "I...Thank you, for introducing us." Looking up at the bot, his shadow loomed over her. "...I just hope he'll be ok…"

Heels clicked at Granville moved to her side, looking at her then the bot. "He will be." She placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder, allowing them a moment of silence.

* * *

Di scanned over the blood sample, baring her teeth at the sight of the monstrous parasites. She was running out of time with these things. Not to mention the prior events that messed with her compony and schedule. She had even snapped at Chris to leave her be, demanding he go and make muffins or something.

So when she heard the doors slid open, she assumed it was him, returning to her lab. Holding back a groan, she straightened and turned to order him to leave her once more. But to her surprise, she made eye contact with a set of familiar hickory brown eyes.

Karmi walked in with purpose, eyes never leaving the sight of her ex-mentor. She ignored the sick feeling swirling in her stomach. This was more important.

Di smirked, placing down her goggles. "Karmi, what a surprise." Her sickly tone hissed.

Without saying a word, the girl placed down her folded lab coat, ID card laying on top of it. Di gazed over it, disappointment across her face, but she wasn't shocked.

"You never fired me...So I thought I'd quit for you." The young student stated, a dark tone lacing her voice.

Di looked over the gear. Mused, she looked at her. "Very well." She placed a hand on the coat before leaning in, smirking sweetly. "But there's always a place here for you.."

Karmi bit her tongue, refusing to give her the satisfactory snark the woman wanted. "Don't worry. You'll just have to find another mind to mess with, Diane…"

That broke her deceiving nature. Di pulled back, shock across her face. Anger quickly showed. "I had a feeling my sister told her…" She snapped the gear, turning away from Karmi in disgust.

Karmi stepped back, glaring at her, but she couldn't help her eyes wander. While the woman wasn't looking, she took notice of what she was studying. The screen above showed the microscopic beings she was working on. She noticed the blood vessels, but also strange eel-like parasites swimming around, nothing she had ever seen before. They sometimes attacked a vessel, causing the girl to freeze in her gaze. Whatever they were, they were dangerous.

Di hadn't noticed, still angry. Dumping the gear to the side, she resumed her research. "You may go…"

Not wanting to wait for the woman to change her mind, Karmi turned to step out of the room. But she couldn't leave without anything. Glancing at the desk next to her, she saw vials with blood. They must have been the same as what she was testing on. Glancing over her shoulder, she quickly swiped one into her jumper. Kicking up her pace, she sped walked towards the door.

"Karmi." Di suddenly spoke up.

The poor girl froze, frantically thinking she had been caught. Narrowing her eyes sharply, she turned halfway and looked at the woman. She was staring right at Karmi, allowing a moment of eery silence.

"...If Hiro ever wakes up." She sneered, insanity in her eyes. _"Tell him to get well soon…"_

Karmi felt a harsh shiver down her spine, eyes hardening as she bared her teeth. She just wanted to scream and let it all out on this woman, quip back her own taunt. But she didn't, she had to hold back her viper tongue for now. Huffing a quiet hiss, she flicked around, ponytail snapping the air. She will make this witch pay, but for now, she had to wait and plan.


	17. Go See Him

**Shout out to 'SpongeGuy's' Fanfiction including my Karmiro Fan Child, Along with 'Silpaidiostory' on Tumblr for drawing a cute picture based on my fanfictions. I always love people actually made content involving my work. Love you guys.**

 **I am really not liking Cruz. His logic makes no sense, and he sounds like a whiny child. It's a little hard to write him.**

 **Buttt, now we have another hiatus. At least the City Of Monsters got an ending. Though here I am, back at my tale of sadness. Now with one of my longest chapter, I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

 **Characters:**

 **Hiro X Karmi**

 **Megan Cruz**

 **Diego Cruz**

 **Granville**

 **Baymax**

 **A little bit of Cass**

 **Mention of Liv**

* * *

 **Warning: Light Swears and talks about mental issues**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, sadly!**

* * *

She felt her phone buzz again, but pretended it wasn't there. It made her wonder why she brought it with her in the first place, she knew her parents would call. Then again, Karmi couldn't blame them. She had finished school, but instead of coming home, she wandered around the nearby streets, gazing over display windows or distract herself by watching some poor advertisements.

But even so, she didn't want to go home for a while. She'd been cooped up for too long, parents babying her and scared to say anything around her. Even though they let her go back to school, it was limited and started to get old fast. Without him, she didn't see a reason to go anymore. The place reminded her of both good and bad memories.

Despite how cluttered and wild the city was, it could be refreshing after everything. The loud noises and rushing people could distract your mind, being louder than what your brain was conjuring up. That didn't erase everything, but enough to give a break.

Two weeks now, and all she has done is ask questions here and there. Yet to see the current outcome of her friend. She wants to go, deeply, but a painful tug in her soul knew the moment she went, everything she'd been holding it would break free. She didn't know what she'd do, most likely cry, or yell at the sky. Her expression hardly changed, outsiders might even think she didn't care, but they were profoundly wrong.

It was when she saw a large screen display a Sycorax ad did she feel a tug again. Eyes froze and stared for too long, and of course, Di just happened to be plastered on it. Yet only she, the gang and Granville knew who it was, the people of the city blinded to think it was Liv Amara. How much Karmi wishes to scream it out, telling the world, only held back by Di's threats.

Yanking her gaze away, she sped walked onto another street, stuffing her hands in her pockets. Her eyes glued to the pavement, only moving when feet appeared in front of her, sliding to the side. Not even halting in her stride when her phone rang again. It didn't matter, not compared to the truth.

But she stopped herself when coming across a little book store, one that displayed baskets of stuffed toys outside, hoping to attract tourists or families. Given Karmi's own collection of toys, she couldn't help herself to look over these ones. Each basket carried a different plush animal toy, foxes, llamas and tigers. She lifted out a fox, feeling it over as she looked over the design.

With most of her senses pinpointed at the toy, she failed to see the person jogging up to her from within the store. It was only once she felt a heavy tap did she snapped her eyes up.

Megan grinned warmly, happy to see her friend out and about. "Karmi, funny seeing you here."

The other needed a moment to process, before she smiled back. "Hey, Megan."

The girl in green adjusted the shopping bag in her hand. "You alone?" She glanced around. "I don't see your parents, or the others."

Karmi froze, nervous to tell the truth. "A-ah, ya, you know? Wanted some alone time."

"Good to hear. I know how it feels to have someone breathing over your shoulder." Megan rolled her eyes. But when a figure came up behind her, she stiffened slightly.

Diego looked at his daughter, raising a cheeky brow. "What was that?"

"Daddddddd" Megan groaned, turning to face him.

The chief of police looked to Karmi. "Ah, Karmi, isn't it?"

The girl didn't say anything, merely nodding. She wasn't sure how to feel about this man yet. Megan explained he was a goofy and overprotective dad, but the others also told her about his anger towards Big Hero 6. However, she wasn't going to be rude, especially with Megan around.

His eyes softened. "I'm sorry about what I did, back at the hospital." He sighed. "I should have been more professional."

Karmi raised a hand. "No, it's fine. It was a stressful situation."

The man smiled lightly, feeling a piece of weight off his shoulders. "And how are you doing?"

Once again, that question. She felt tired saying the same thing, repeating the phrase or mixing it up with similar words. As she mentioned before, she wasn't keen to talk about it.

"Fine...Still working through it, you know?" She explained, a tone saying that was all she would say.

Megan seemed to notice, quickly changing the subject. "Hey, since you're out here alone, you could hang with my dad and me." Looking up at her dad, she grinned eagerly.

Diego chuckled, forcing himself not to roll his eyes. "I'm alright with that, but only if Karmi wants to."

Both Cruzs looked at the girl. Karmi stopped herself from saying no, thinking about the offer. She had wanted time alone, but mostly from her parents, Granville and the team. Perhaps spending time with different people would get her mind off things finally.

She shrugged. "Sure, I just hope it's no trouble."

Diego waved his hand. "It's nothing. Plus, I need someone to distract this girl." He fondly ruffled Megan's hair.

His daughter whined, and gave an embarrassed look at her father. Once he finished, she quickly fixed her hair up before joining her friend's side. "We were about to check out the ice cream parlour, keen on something?"

Karmi, still getting used to Megan's extroverted nature, gave a shy smile. "Sure, I have been craving some dairy lately."

"Sweet." Megan clicked her fingers.

And off they went, Chief Cruz following them around, watching over the two girls as they shopped around, ate ice cream and talked. With each moment around them, Karmi started getting a little more eager to come out of her shell. Even so, that voice was still there, tugging at her.

* * *

The pair exited a sweet store, after Megan had successfully begged her dad to let them grab something. Megan had seized herself both sherbet straws, followed by a large bag of gummy bears. Karmi brought a block of dark chocolate, nothing special.

As they stepped out the doors, Megan looked to her chocolate. "You actually like that stuff?"

Karmi rolled her eyes. "Nothing wrong with it, my favourite kind of chocolate."

The other girl held back a giggle. "Guess that means you have a bitter tooth."

Karmi puffed her cheeks lightly, refusing to acknowledge that statement, holding her chocolate like a prized possession.

"I agree, dark chocolate is good." Diego stated behind them.

"Then you both can start a club." The little Cruz snickered, giving a playful look.

Karmi gave her a look. "And what, you're a part of the sweet tooth club? I mean, sherberts and gummy bears? That's a lot of sugar."

The dark-skinned girl blinked, pulling out the gummy bears from her bag. "Oh, I'm actually getting these for Hiro."

She couldn't hide the shock, Karmi nearly tripping from it. Biting her lip, she rushed to balance herself and prevent her voice from stuttering. "O-oh, You guys have seen him?"

Putting the gummies away, Megan nodded. "I visit him whenever we can, dad has to drop me off when he's not busy."

"Sometimes I even stay around to see how he is." Mr Cruz added on, looking a little sombre.

Megan looked at her dad in agreement. "We saw everyone leave something for him, thought we'd as well."

Karmi's stared blankly, to scare to show real emotions. Clearing her throat quietly, she turned her head away, looking forward. "That's sweet…"

The other girl raised a hand, ready to talk again, when her eyes caught something. Flicking around, she jogged ahead to the next store. Karmi and Diego followed her with their gaze, seeing her stop outside a rack of flowers.

Eyes wide with joy, the girl in green snatched up a bouquet. "Dad, I finally found some gladiolus!"

Cruz looked a little surprised but smirked. "Well finally, odd it took us this long."

As he joined his daughter's side, Karmi stared at them in confusion. Slowly stepping over, she gazed over the flowers, each stalk carrying different colours of the flowers. She was slightly aware of this species of plant, but didn't see why they were excited.

Speaking up, she asked her friend and their father. "Ah, why do you need gladiolus?"

Handing the flowers to her father, Megan turned to Karmi. "They're Hiro's favourite."

Karmi's eyes widened again. "He...He has a favourite flower?"

Watching her dad go inside to pay, Megan turned back to her. "Ya, I found out when we found one of those conversations apps. I'm surprised as you are, given how much he's a city boy." The girl rambled on.

The girl in the jumper felt dim inside, barely understanding why. But subconsciously, she felt a twinge of jealousy, even a little guilt. She had known Hiro longer than Megan, but it made her see how much she's missed out on Hiro's personal life. How chummy he and Megan had gotten along. She didn't blame the other girl, but herself. It was her own fault when pushing him away so much.

Pushing those emotions away with the others, she gazed at Megan. "Guessing you're getting those for him too."

Megan paused, noticing her friend's change in aura. "I mean, you can give them. I already got gummy bears." She offered, misreading the situation.

Feeling her heart stop momentarily, Karmi's eyes widened. "N-no, I'm good."

"Oh, right, you've probably already gotten him something." Megan guessed, but seeing her friend's expression told her more.

Karmi took a step back, that tugging feeling getting bigger. Megan looked her up and down, noting how the poor girl looked like she was ready to faint. It finally got to her, giving Karmi a sorrowful look.

"Karmi, have you even visited him?" Megan asked, pleading for it not to be true.

Karmi stared at her, eyes shaking as she shuffled back. Her breathing began heavy so she could barely talk. She gave her a friend a look, one full of fear, guilt and shame. She dropped her head, hiding it.

It only made Meg's eyes widen even more. "Karmi…" She uttered in disbelief. "What are you doing to yourself? You think avoiding it will help?..."

"I can't go, I just can't!" Karmi snapped, but she covered her mouth right after the words left her.

It didn't phase her friend, who merely gave a concerned gaze. "I know it's hard, but you can't do this to yourself." Her eyes glanced away. "Or Hiro."

That name seemed to break something in her. Karmi took a step back, almost falling over. "N-no..."

Megan looked at her friend, worried and shocked. "Karmi." She reached a hand towards her.

But she didn't let Megan, she couldn't. Without hesitating, she turned on her heels, Ponytail flicking in the air, she made a dash down the path, not caring who she shoved past. Her sight was shaking, smell nowhere, only feeling the pavement on the ground and people around her, barely hearing the noises around her. She was aware that Megan was calling out to her, possibly even Chief Cruz when he saw what had happened, but she didn't stop or look back.

As she panicked in her run, the lights around the city made her flinch, her brain making them more noticeable. She needed somewhere dim, so when she came to a small alley, she twisted her pace to hide in it.

Slamming her back against the wall, she gripped the sides of her jumper, trying to steady her breathing. She wasn't aware of how far she ran, but she knew the Cruzs wouldn't find her for now.

They didn't mean to start a panic attack, Karmi didn't blame them, having harmed herself with not dealing with the problem at hand. But this made her, once again, want to crawl away and spend her days drifting away in her bed. It was so painful to think about. Megan worried over her was one thing, but saying Hiro would be hurt from Karmi not showing up, that got to her. It made her feel like a lousy friend again.

But she managed to slow her breathing, using small techniques she's learnt over time. It didn't solve the problem, but it would calm her for now. Allowing her to sense her phone ring again.

Frowning lightly, she pulled out her phone, seeing voicemails from her parents, now one from Megan. Now she didn't want to face her other friend. She needed a break.

Her expression grew tired and soft, stuffing the phone away and shoving her hands back into her pockets, she strolled out of the alleyway, dead to the world again as she made her way back home.

* * *

The night happened been smooth afterwords. When she finally made it home, her parents began yelling at her, having been so worried and concerned, especially when the chief of police called them. Seems he was worried over her.

Karmi barely paid attention to the yelling, same things she head before. She only got involved when they threatened to take another break from school. The girl then explained a little, how she needed time alone and such, not giving away significant details. She didn't want to stay trapped in her room again. And her pleads seemed to get through to her parents, but they were on thin lines with her.

When she did arrive at school, it was later into the day. She needed a long sleep after all the drama, along with staying up so late. Once again, the school didn't seem to mind, letting her have a free period over class time.

So there she was, working in her lab. She had checked up on her viruses, all seeming fine and functioning like normal. It was the last one that held her interest, the virus she stole from Di.

She had been studying it, learning how dangerous these things were. They clearly evolved to attack the human body, eventually killing their host in a matter of weeks if not dealt with in time. It made her worry, thinking Di might use these on someone. It's one reason why Karmi took them, hoping to learn more about them, even create a cure if the Sycorax CEO decides to use them.

Lazily, she tested another round with the parasites, but every time she tried, they fought back violently. It annoyed her, dubbing this virus to be a brat, unlike her own.

Then she heard the door slide open. She didn't react, thinking it would a teacher checking up on her. So she took a moment to make a note on the parasites before looking up at the visitor. Her eyes widened at the sight of a familiar round and white bot, staring at her work.

"That is not safe." He simply said.

"Well...It is a virus." Karmi explained, confused.

She then heard heels clicking outside. Turning, she saw Professor Granville stroll in, looking pleased with herself.

"I see your scans were successful." The dean pointed out, walking up to the bot.

Baymax shuffled, looking to her. "Yes, I was able to location Karmi."

Giving her teacher a look, Karmi spoke up. "Professor?"

Granville waved a hand lightly. "Don't worry about it. I was just testing Baymax. I knew you were in today, so I thought I'd have him scan for you. Along with checking up on you." She tilted her head, looking over the girl's work. "How is the work coming along."

Karmi's mind briefly panicked. She hadn't told the others yet about the virus. "Ah, good! Just normal diseases as always." She chuckled sheepishly.

"Mmmh, good." Granville straightened and looked to Baymax. "As for you, just need the last touch-ups, and then you're good to go."

Baymax blinked slowly. "Thank you, Professor Granville. But you asked me to remind you of your meeting, it is in ten minutes."

This made the older woman's eyes widen. "Already?" She huffed and held her arms behind her back. "Guess I lost track of time." Looking back up at the bot, she gave a soft gaze. "We'll have to deal with you later."

But the look on Granville caught Karmi's attention. She knew the teacher wasn't sad because she couldn't keep doing her work, but rather not being able to get Baymax to the hospital finally. The sooner he got there, the better.

Sliding off her chair, Karmi stood. "What do you need for him?"

Granville looked to her student, a little puzzled. "Files off of Hamada's school computer, along with his…'superhero' chip. I left it in his lab for later."

Realising how simple the task was, the girl replied. "Oh, I can do that for you. Baymax can give me access to the computer."

The dean paused, tapping her foot lightly. "Mmmh, I suppose it would be alright." She cleared her throat. "Very well, I'll come by after the meeting."

"I hope it goes well for you." Baymax tilted his head.

Granville shook her head lightly, knowing the pain of meetings would never go well. Giving the too a final glance, she wandered off.

Looking to Baymax, Karmi started to walk alongside him. She knew the lab's location, remembering all the times she stormed in or wanted to ask Hiro something. And when they arrived, Baymax unlocked the door for them, letting Karmi in first.

And the lab hadn't changed much, still as messy as Hiro left it, maybe a little dust on most items. But the more you looked around it, the more you saw the little things. Tadashi's cap, spare gear for Baymax, a couple of Lucky Cat Cafe drinks laying around on his desk, it tells you a lot about the owner.

Karmi didn't know what to feel, her mind pretty split. One half didn't want to be in there, pleading to make this quick, while the other relaxed to the familiar scent of Hiro, remembering fonder moments in this room. Thankfully, the computer was in its regular place, now she just needed to find the chip.

Looking to Hiro's companion, she spoke. "Do you know where that chip is?"

The bot shook his head, twisting side to side. "I do not, but Granville would have left it somewhere safe, yet easy to find."

He did have a good point, so she began her search with him. He looked over the desk, while she checked some of the draws. But as she fumbled over different items, careful not to skip over anything, her eyes landed on the desk near the window. He had a display of pictures along it.

One displayed all of his friend, even Tadashi. Another showed one with just him and Baymax. Near the end was one with his aunt. He looked so happy in all of them. But one on the other end caught her eyes. Reaching over, she took it into her hands, looking over it. This one was a picture of both Hiro and herself. It surprised her to learn he displayed this in his lab.

She remembered when this photo was taken too. When they had the movie night, Hiro wanted a snap a picture to send to his friends, proving he was doing his work and that Karmi was indeed over. Both leaned against each other, Hiro holding his phone at a high angle, the bowls of deserts resting in their laps. Their smiles were genuine, enjoying their time together.

"Karmi, are you ok?" Baymax suddenly spoke up, snapping the girl out of thought.

Flicking around, she stared at him in shock. Somehow she briefly forgot about him. "Ah-h, ya."

"Staring silently at a photo with a look of sadness and stuttering are clear signs you are not ok." He pointed out, turning his whole body to face her.

Karmi placed the picture down, careful not to knock over anything. "It's nothing, just got caught up looking at something…"

The health bot tilted his head. "...You feel guilty."

Karmi cursed to herself, there was no way she was going to get around this guy. He was built to help people. "I said I'm fine. It really is nothing."

Baymax didn't stop, however. "It is ok to feel upset over what happened."

"Baymax…" She mumbled, trying not to snap.

"Building up negative emotions over time will only result in more negativity. Have you spoken to anyone about this?" Baymax questioned.

Karmi took a sharp breath, trying not to look at him. "Please, just stop…"

His chest pulled up a screen of Karmi's face in a bubble. More popped up, each bubble holding a picture of a Big Hero 6 member and Megan. "Speaking to close ones can help the problem. Perhaps one of your friends-"

Stomping her foot down, she leaned her body towards the bot, yelling. "I said stop! I don't want to talk about it, I don't even want to think about it, why can't you understand that! You stupid piece of JUNK!"

Baymax stopped, watching her. His screen vanished as he read her body language. He decided to give her a moment to think over her words.

It didn't take her long to realise what she just said, her face of anger turned to horror. "O-oh god...Baymax I...I'm so sorry…"

His tilted his head again. "It is ok, you needed to get it out."

"I shouldn't have...what I said was awful…" She rubbed her arms, turning away.

Baymax blinked, raising a finger. "Everyone can get angry, it is a normal emotion in stressful times."

She looked to the floor. "Not when it makes you the bad guy…"

He didn't reply this time, puzzling the girl. She did hear him move, but he didn't sound like he was coming towards her. Curiosity got the better of her, turning her head to look for the bot. But her eyes widened when she saw him messing with Hiro's monitor, looking through files.

Turning, she sped walked over. "Baymax, what are you?..."

She stopped herself as he settled on a folder, selecting a video that popped up on the screen. Her eyes settled on the screen, raising a brow at the title.

 _ **Baymax Returns:**_

 _ **The video came to life, displaying a familiar boy, resting in his chair as he looked over his other montoir. He appeared to be making sure the recording was up and running smoothly. In the background, you could easily tell it was his personal lab, Baymax hovering nearby.**_

 _ **Clearing his throat, the boy spoke. "Well, it's working."**_

She froze at the sight of him. He was fine, sitting around in his lab, not laying in a hospital bed in the middle of the city. Allowing a moment to look away, she looked a the recorded date. It was around the time he joined the school, right before he met her.

 ** _Baymax's head twisted to look at him. "Good, you can now record your thoughts."_**

 ** _Hiro bit his lip, looking unsure. "Are you sure about this?"_**

 ** _The bot nodded slowly. "Of course, recording personal thoughts about events help you. Allows you to think it through, vent and look back on it. Tadashi did the same."_**

 ** _Hiro smiled fondly at that. "I know. Given the number of times they've helped me." He looked back at the screen. "Well, where do I even begin?" He laughed awkwardly._**

 ** _"What comes to your mind first?" Baymax asked._**

 ** _The young genius paused. "For starters, I'm glad you're back." Another fond smile appeared across his face. "I really thought I'd lose you back there, especially after everything that happened. Callaghan, the portal, Tadashi...and all of this."_**

The date was correct. Set right after the events that led him here. That voice screamed at her to look away, but this time, another part of her won the fight. Pulling out a chair, she sat to watch.

 _ **He bent down off-screen, shuffling around before returning. He held his superhero helmet. "I wanted to become a lot of things, but a superhero was not up there. Even after those events." He chuckled softly. "Guess the city needed people like us."**_

 _ **He rubbed his helmet lightly, before a guilty expression grew on his face. "I just wish I wasn't the reason why." He looked to the side. "I should have listened to you Baymax. But I was just so eager to see you again, I wanted you...I needed you." He sighed sadly, ashamed of himself.**_

 _ **Baymax began waddling over, his robotic noises heard through the camera. "It is natural to rush and make mistakes in emotional moments."**_

 _ **Hiro's eyes narrowed, not daring to look at his friend. "Ya, but most normal people would make a mistake like breaking a vase or say something dumb to a person they care about. I nearly got the city overrun with evil versions of you. I mean, even Yama is my fault."**_

 _ **Already ready to comfort the boy, Baymax leaned over him and pulled into a hug, along with his chair. Hiro blinked and looked up at his friend, smothered by the bot's balloon arms.**_

 _ **"You can not change all that happened. Only work with what you have. You and your friends saved the day and solved the problem, Hiro. You should be proud of yourself." Baymax then proceeded to pat his head.**_

 _ **Hiro fell silent, clearly thinking over the words before sighing. Smiling again, he pat the bot's arm. "Ya, you're right. I just hope I don't make that mistake again."**_

Karmi sighed softly. Even the start of being superheros wasn't easy. Their origins were dark, eventful and personal. The anger and frustration in Hiro's voice, it made sense.

 _ **Once he seemed satisfied, Baymax let go of the small boy, standing by his side. Hiro quickly settled back in his chair, making sure it didn't fall over in the process.**_

 _ **Looking back at his helmet, Hiro's face seemed to change. He looked oddly concerned as he picked it up. "But something tells me we've got bigger troubles coming soon." Pressing his lips, he looked to the screen and reached over, ending the recording.**_

Blinking, Karmi leaned back in the chair. Looking up at the bot, she noticed he hadn't removed his hand from the montoir, already shuffling through files again. It made her realise what these were. Vlogs, much like Hiro's brother. And from the looks of it, Baymax was selecting out some for Karmi to watch.

Finding her voice, she uttered. "Why?..."

Baymax moved his head in his searching and looked to her. "They will help you…" He stated, pulling up the next file.

Karmi's eyes widened when reading the date, the day Hiro read his report about Karmi to Granville.

 _ **Issue 188:**_

 _ **The next video snapped on display, this time showing a clearly annoyed Hiro. He quickly leans back into his chair, typing away on his tablet in frustration.**_

 _ **"Even after I praised her to Professor Granville, she still pushed me aside!" He vented, huffing and tapping the tablet aggressively. He briefly looked at the camera. "I can see why Professor Granville wanted me to help her. But why me? I'm crap at talking to people. I thought she got that impression from me already." Snorting, he looked back at the tablet.**_

Karmi looked away, feeling her heart sting. She remembered how terrible she was, and it was clear that Hiro didn't let it go easily. Taking a sharp breath, she continued to watch.

 _ **Suddenly, his health companion's voice popped up off-screen. "Hiro, you are making a quick judgement of the situation."**_

 _ **Hiro paused, looking at his friend off-screen before sighing. He mumbled to himself before speaking clearly. "Ya, ya, I know. I shouldn't be bad-mouthing. But after everything, I just can't stand her. Like all that 'You have a crush on me, Hiro' stuff is just flat out wrong, I mean, who assumes that kind of stuff?"**_

 _ **"It is normal for growing teenagers to feel hormonal-" Baymax was cut off.**_

 _ **Hiro's eyes widened as he frantically waved off his bot. "Please, I'm good and get it already." Rolling his eyes, he went back to typing. "But it's not like she can judge, she has a crush on me. Well, other me. I just- god, no, it's gross!" He gave a disgusted and embarrassed look. "She doesn't even know anything about him."**_

 _ **"She knows he is heroic, smart, selfless and saved her." Baymax offered.**_

She felt a small blush on her face. During all the drama and mental stress, Karmi never thought about the fact that she made fanfictions of her and Hiro. Romantic fanfiction. No wonder he was grossed out with them.

 _ **It made the boy paused, a look on his face making it seem like he regretted his choice of words. "I guess I can't say anything either. I don't know anything about romances or crushes." He placed down his tablet. "But I really am trying with her, but she won't give me a chance-" He bit his tongue and looked away. "...Like I had."**_

 _ **"Tadashi did say you struggled to make friends." The bot noted.**_

 _ **Hiro shook his head lightly, huffing out tiredly. "I did try when younger, but I gave up on it when I skipped more grades. No one wanted to be my friend, so why put in the effort?" He rubbed the back of his head. "Of course, that view point's gone."**_

 _ **Baymax could be heard waddling over, his belly showing up on the screen. "And how long did it take to change that idea?"**_

 _ **Hiro's eyes glanced around, thinking. He turned to his desk, placing his hands down. "Years." He stated, a slight hurt look in his eyes.**_

Despite the earlier rant, Hiro showed that he did understand, even if it was hard to convey. He really did understand. Both him and Karmi lacked friendship for years, and it showed. But it made Karmi feel so glad to be friends with him finally. He didn't judge her, because he was the same.

 _ **"Then you understand it takes time. You needed time, so Karmi needs time." The large white bot explained.**_

 _ **Hiro fiddled with his fingers, seemingly not knowing what to say and thinking over the words. He closed his eyes briefly, possibly recalling some memories. Again, he said nothing, leaning over to one of the montoirs and ending the recording.**_

Waiting for Baymax to play the next video, it gave Karmi a moment to think to herself. She hasn't thought about their first encounter in ages, having gotten used to having him around. She wondered if he thought about it still. It wasn't a pleasant memory and definitely stuck for ages.

She wondered to herself, how would have things gone if she was kind to him in the beginning. Events would have played out differently and most likely wouldn't have been this wild. But she guessed that supported their friendship, the fact they could work through such problems.

As the next file came up on the screen, she checked the title and date again. It would have been around their earthquake project. Another bad moment for Karmi, given the video she posted of Hiro. She was happy it drowned away in all the other school videos.

 _ **Failure Mode:**_

 _ **As the video began, Hiro could be seen cleaning up his desk, having finished his earthquake project and getting his grading for it. He seemed very pleased with himself, a smirk plastered on his face.**_

 _ **"A day to prove to others and myself." He joked, placing away a stack of papers. "But now I have to wait for Granville's next project." He rolled his eyes, a little cocky. "God, I need to find a way to organise my time. I never needed to before."**_

 _ **"I can set up alarms and notifications for you." Baymax walked on screen, seemingly helping with the cleanup.**_

 _ **"Actually, I want to give it a go myself. Plus, it's more the whole ordeal with working around schoolwork, homelife and superhero stuff." He looked back at his desk, looking over his tools. "Guess I've never been so busy in my life."**_

 _ **As he sorted out his tools, he snorted and leaned back in his chair. "Though I'm happy to add another picture to my 'Embarrassed Karmi' moments." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone. Quickly opening it and finding his most recent picture of Karmi, turning the phone to the camera. "Amazing, ain't it?"**_

She pulled an annoyed face. It wasn't a flattering photo of herself. But thinking back on it, she could laugh at herself. She did fall right into that trap, given how impressive Hiro's work had been. Using equal forces was brilliant.

 _ **"** **Are you sure that is a nice thing to do?" Baymax questioned.**_

 _ **Hiro waved him off. "It's fine. She does the same to me. Besides, it's not like I'm posting them online." He turned the phone back to him, smirking. "Besides, I like this little game between us."**_

She shook her head lightly, a fond smile on her face. It was true, she even had a folder dedicated to all his embarrassing pictures. She sometimes sent him one on occasion, liking to mess with him and tease him over it. Sometimes he took it in his stride, other times he retorted by sending a picture of her.

 _ **"Be careful with your schedule." The bot spoke up. "Tadashi took time to work out his own schedule, resulting in many tried and stress days, even something called 'Inventor's Block'."**_

 _ **Hiro perked up and gave his friend a look. "Like that could ever happen to me." He scoffed playfully before switching the camera off, ending the video.**_

Snorting to herself, she had a feeling he jinks himself on that one. Everyone here got inventor's block eventually, even she has suffered from it a couple of times.

She briefly drifted a hand to her side, feeling her phone in her pocket. Closing her eyes, she thought about the pictures of him, she hadn't looked at them in a while. Maybe she should view them again sometime, remind her of some funny times between them.

Looking at the screen, the next film was about something she could easily remember. Trengrove's visit to SFIT. It was also one of the few times her and Hiro got along for a moment. It was a sweet memory, one she wishes she had more of.

 _ **Small Hiro One:**_

 _ **When this recording started, Hiro sat at his desk, head resting on his left hand, while the right one tapped the desk. He looked confused, nervous and tired. He didn't even act like he was being recorded, failing to say anything for a good while.**_

 _ **Once again, Baymax spoke off-screen. "Hiro?"**_

 _ **Then he snapped up, eyes narrowed. "How could she not mention anything? I get it's not a nice opening in conversations, but why would she lie and never say she worked here before." He groaned and rubbed his face. "Not to mention Trengrove being a fraud, I can only imagine how Tadashi would feel. Then whatever the hell Yama was doing." He bit his lip.**_

 _ **He dropped his head towards his desk. A balloon arm shot onto the screen, protecting Hiro's head. The boy sat there, head resting on the armrests before letting out a deep breath. He sat up and simply nodded to his friend, the arms sliding off-screen.**_

 _ **He rested his head on his hand again. "Today's just been so strange. I mean, I'm annoyed at Trengrove and thankful for Wendy, but I guess their matter is their own problem. But Professor Granville?" He bent his head back, looking at the roof in frustration. "And she judges me for acting untrustworthy." He shook his head. "Why would she come back anyway? What made her leave?"**_

 _ **"Perhaps you can ask her when you see her again." Baymax tried advising.**_

 _ **The boy shook his head even more. "I know she wouldn't say anything. She doesn't trust me...and something tells me there's more to this story than her simply looking for better pay."**_

His rant finally made sense to her. Karmi had been equally as shocked when other students learned of this. So many knew to the point where Granville didn't deny it anymore. Appears Hiro was the first to learn about this.

 _ **He rubbed his face, taking a deep breath and brushing the hair off his face. "I have to find out later. See what I can find in some of the school's history."**_

 _ **"Perhaps add a positive note onto this recording?" Baymax recommended, of course, wanting the best for his patient.**_

 _ **"Positive…" Hiro mumbled. He looked at the camera and shrugged. "I mean, the kids weren't that bad. It was kind of fun using them to trick Yama." He held back a snigger. "It's fun messing with that man." Then he suddenly hesitated. "And...Karmi and I did have a nice moment. I guess when you don't think about wanting to prove who's better, we can act natural…" He thought over it before shaking his head again, reaching out and ending the recording.**_

His voice, body language, expression, all of it was so genuine. He really did want to be friends for a long while. And like her, that sweet memory stuck out to him.

She allowed a small smile on her face. He never gave up on it, despite the stumbles they both took. She was also happy to see how good he was with kids. Maybe he liked teaching them, or finds joy in messing around with them, harmlessly like many adults do.

But the next file stumped her. She doesn't remember doing anything with Hiro on this date, nor did the title make any sense. She leaned in to watch, see what it was about.

 _ **Kentucky Kaiju:**_

 _ **When the video started, the young genius pulled back from the screen. On his desk laid two things, a black jumpsuit with circuit patterns, and a rather large data chip. He stared at them, an unreadable expression across his face. He raised a hand and picked up the suit, holding it up and looking over it.**_

 _ **"Not my best idea ever." A sheepish tone in his voice, grimacing slightly. "I shouldn't have listened to Globby. But…" He tossed the jumpsuit to the side. "I do need to find a way to fight on my own. I'm weak alone." He glanced away, ashamed.**_

 _ **"We do not think you are weak." Baymax chimed in, coming up behind Hiro.**_

 _ **"Because you guys are my friends. Plus, it's more for the fighting side of things." He leaned on the desk. "I know how to fight, I took classes. But I'm small, or I'm not strong, like you, or Gogo. I rely on you guys too much, what happens if I'm alone with a villain?"**_

 _ **Baymax blinked, tilting his head. "I agree, we should find a way to protect you from danger. But not something that could end badly, or hurt others like the Nano-Dex."**_

It was then that she remembered this. It was when Hiro broke the classroom door, threw a chair at her and spray ketchup all over them both of them, along with breaking a table. She had been angry with him that day. Nearly getting harm and trying to remove tomato stains had not been fun.

The jumpsuit was an odd gadget, she didn't know what it was. But from the sounds of it, it was responsible for the destruction he caused. Which also meant that he really wasn't trying to hurt her. But she felt thankful that suit was gone.

 _ **Hiro grit his teeth, looking embarrassed. "Agreed." He glanced at the ground. "I'm just glad Mr Frederickson snapped me out of it." When he looked up, his eyes darted to the data chip. Reaching over, he picked it up. "But we have more pressing matters. Whoever made this, they're messing with us, causing the big problems. Globby and Noodle Burger Boy are following someone, they couldn't do this on their own."**_

 _ **"It is best we stop them quickly." Baymax glanced at the chip before focusing on Hiro again.**_

 _ **"I'd like to, before they recruited anyone else and cause more hell." The boy stated, examining the chip. He pointed to the symbol in the centre. "This has to be their insignia. I don't recognise it, and nothing online matches it."**_

Karmi didn't recognize it either. It displayed some kind of demon. Her first guess would be some thug gang in Good Luck alley, seemed like someone there would have. However, she knew better, it was most likely something bigger.

 _ **He stared at the symbol for a moment before looking away. "Whoever they are, they sent Globby just to mess with me. But why?" He looked to Baymax. "Why does making me doubt myself momentarily help them?"**_

 _ **The bot looked at his patient. "I do not know, Hiro. All I can say is not to listen to Globby's words."**_

 _ **Hiro's face pleaded for a moment, but quickly understood that was the best he was going to get. "I know..." He uttered, placing down the chip. Turning back to his desk, he clicked something, finishing the video.**_

Pulling her head back, Karmi was honestly shocked. Hiro made that suit because he thought he wasn't good enough, a villain put doubt in him. It was shocking because he was the most confident person she knew. Even on the battlefield, while he wasn't powerful, he was great. Letting out commands without hesitation and guiding the team.

Her originally accusations made her feel ashamed. If only she knew how he really felt, then she wouldn't have been mad at him, or blame him for throwing a chair at her.

As the next file come on screen, she felt her heartbeat. The date was all too familiar, a day she fawned over every chance she got.

 _ **F** **an Friction:**_

 _ **The video began, Hiro leaning back into his chair, staring at his phone as he read something. His face looked weirded out, even grossed out by what was on his phone.**_

 _ **"You know, I never thought fanfiction was that bad, but this." He looked away, cheeks going red. "It's a whole nother level! God, now I know how celebrities or YouTubers feel about fanfiction about themselves."**_

She wanted to badly to bang her head on the table. Her fanfictions, he had read them, she had eagerly talked about it towards him, especially all her Captain Cutie parts. How badly she just wanted to die right there.

 _ **He shook his head, a look of confusion in his eyes. He looked at the camera. "And to top it all off, even villains read it, apparently. Never pictured Momakase to be the type to read this stuff." He frowned and placed down his phone, thinking. "But there has to be more to it than this fanfiction. They can't be dumb enough to think this is real. So why kidnap Karmi?"**_

Biting her tongue and stopping herself from blushing, she tried to focus on his question. And he had raised a good point, why would they kidnap her because of a fanfiction? She was pretty sure there were, like, a hundred other fangirls they could have taken.

 _ **He continued to think it over, before groaning and rubbing his face harshly. "I'm nowhere near understanding this Obake's motives. First, he wanted that strange paperweight, then steals a painting with Globby, got Mad Jacks to go on that hunt with Krei, reprogram Noodle Burger Boy, have Globby feed me self-doubt and now this! Kidnap a girl and nearly blow us up on Akuma Island. Nothing adds up."**_

 _ **Leaning back further into his desk chair, his arms flopped to his side, hanging from the armrests. It was pretty clear that all of this has been on his mind, wanting to figure it out as soon as possible.**_

 _ **Breathing out through his nose, he sat straight. "And now Karmi might be involved. Even if she can, you know, act like the worst, she doesn't deserve this. No one does…" He tapped his desk. "But he knows that." He glared at the camera. "He knows how to push our buttons, using our weaknesses and civilians."**_

Her fanfiction didn't seem to stop his concern over her. It surprised her, but then again, he allowed her to keep writing them. As Captain, he could have easily dismissed them or tell her to stop. Yet he didn't. But that displayed his heroic side. He knew when to put pitty things to the side and do what was right.

But she was definitely going to edit a few things when she got back into writing. She couldn't live herself to think about what she wrote.

 ** _Just as it seemed he was about to get further into the topic, his phone dinged. Blinking, he reached over and looked at the screen, eyes widening._**

 ** _"Are you kidding me? Another chapter, how does she write so fast!?" A blush popping across his cheeks, eyes quickly reading over a little. He frantically rushed a hand towards the camera, ending the recording._**

Yup, definitely going to change things. Already feeling her face so flushed, she bumped her head on the headrest of the chair, screaming at herself.

But that name, Obake. She remembered the team talking about him. From what they said, Karmi learned he was the one to nearly destroyed the city, along with being a major villain or caused most of the problems before.

Baymax had to give her a moment to sort herself out. She needed to be focused, ready to think about what the next video had instore for her. And again, this one she remembered this date, the time she met her...

 ** _Big Problem:_**

 ** _When the video began, Hiro could be seen in his ultra armour, first design. Removing his helmet and brushing his hair into place, he looked to the camera, a light smile on his face._**

 ** _"Glad to see Liv Amara liked something of mine." He shook his head, looking away briefly. "I still think you're way better, Baymax."_**

 ** _On cue, the bot moved onto the screen in the background, still wearing some of his ultra armour. Hiro laughed to himself quickly, watching his friend trying to reach for his own helmet._**

 ** _"I am stuck." Baymax explained, hands unable to bend correctly._**

 ** _"Come here." Hiro waved him over._**

That managed to get a light laugh out of her. The bot always had ways of making you laugh, intentional or not. It's why everyone loved him, just adorable and helpful.

 ** _The large Bot waddled over carefully. When he reached Hiro, he came to a stop. The boy paused before gripped onto Baymax's arms, pulling himself up to reach the helmet, half of him off-screen._**

 ** _"I still wonder what happened to Knox. Robots and ninja chiefs are one thing, but a mutant. The closest we ever got was Globby, but even then, he's different." Hiro rambled on, clicking and pulling his friend's helmet off before jumping down._**

 ** _"He is in safe hands, I am sure they will help him." Baymax stated, of course, caring for the patient's health first._**

 ** _Hiro placed down his friend's helmet next to his own, briefly glancing over it for damage. "I hope so, couldn't imagine what it's like." He looked down, brows furrowed._**

If only they knew back then. How Knox wasn't safe, who really did it and what all of this would lead to. But it couldn't be changed, time only moves one way. No matter how much you wish things could go, no matter what events it could avoid. It was indeed one of the cruellest things of life.

 _ **Baymax shuffled back, giving Hiro some room. "And how are you feeling?"**_

 _ **The boy perked up, almost surprised by the question. "Ah, I guess a little proud." He rubbed the back of his head. "Especially after this whole Karmi thing." He looked a little embarrassed. "The way I was acting, it was like Krei. That's when I knew I'd gone mad."**_

 _ **"But…" He slipped off a glove, gazing over it. "The others were right, Karmi can do her own things, but I can do my things. It is how the world functions." He smirked, smugness in his eyes. "I will admit, it was fun to show off around Karmi, even if she didn't know it was me."**_

Rolling her eyes, she started to realise how much she missed his cocky attitude. But also would never deny that the ultra armour was impressive as hell, especially now with the upgrades and black hues.

 _ **"Is that why you ran into me?" Baymax asked.**_

 _ **Hiro's smug look vanished, cheeks turning red. "Baymax! N-no, I, she said- Arg!" He groaned, frazzled and snapping the video to an end.**_

And once again, she blushed and cursed at herself. Thinking back at how she shouted out her declaration of love, not at all subtle. Another reason she wished she could go back in time. Why did crushes have to make her so dizzy and weird?

Snapping out of those embarrassing thoughts, she read the next title. This event was when things finally turned around for the two.

 _ **Look Behind The Pages:**_

 _ **The video came to life, Hiro resting in his chair like usual, but he seemed oddly calm today. His hands were together, fingers fumbling over one another.**_

 _ **"So, ya, it finally happened. I managed to get through to Karmi." He smiled fondly. "At least I got somewhere, along with understanding her. She really is just lonely, even in her family. It explains a lot. Rejecting others out of fear, seeking approval from adults and forcing herself to be the best she can."**_

He really did understand her. Remembering how wise he sounded, never once laughing at her misfortune and offering advice out of experience. It was something she needed severely, something not given to her in years.

 _ **He sighed deeply, glancing away. "Wish I hadn't been such an ass." He frowned to himself. "But meeting someone like me, stubborn, smart and lonely, it made me react. I don't know why, maybe it was frustrating to see what people had to deal with when talking to me, or maybe I knew deep down how much it reminded me of myself. Seeing those parts that I hate, that get me into trouble."**_

 _ **He looked back at the camera. "And she saved me, three times! First tackling me out of the blast zone, crushing one of the robots and pulling me out before the room collapsed. No hesitation." A glint of shame shone in his eyes. "She's not as bad as I thought. Hell, better than me in some ways."**_

"Hiro…" She whispered to herself. Had he really thought that?

After everything, he thought she was better than him over something personal. He acted like he was the one at fault, despite what she did as well. But he did seem confused, seeing himself in her, not use to being around someone like him.

 _ **His hands tightened. "Now, I have to wait and see how this goes. I haven't made a friend my age in years." He rubbed the back of his neck. "It's not going to be easy, I know. But if she's willing to give me a chance, I'm going to put in the effort." He glanced away again, nervous. "I hope giving my number was the right move."**_

She nodded at the screen, despite the fact it was just a recording. She was so thankful with that decision, it really helped her. It was a way to feel comfortable to talk to him.

 _ **"Do I tell Granville?" He grumbled to himself, shaking his head. "No, no. She shouldn't be involved, I can't rely on her all the time. I have to try and do this. And you never know." His eyes turned back to the screen, smiling lightly. "Maybe this can become a great friend. It would be nice to talk to someone near my age, yet still hold intelligent conversations."**_

 _ **He frowned lightly. "What am I even saying? Of course that's what friendship is, suppose to make people happy and get along with others." He huffed. "I'm awful at this…"**_

 _ **His phone dinged. Looking over, the boy reached a hand off-screen. Shuffling around a bit, he brought his phone into the video, reading the message.**_

 _ **A warm look in his eyes made him relax. "Of course, out of all the times to message me." He shook his head lightly. "Maybe I'm just overthinking it, but I just...really want this friendship to work."**_

 _ **He sat there in silence for a good moment, glancing away from his phone randomly. Tapping a finger on his desk, he took a deep breath and clicked a button, ending the recording.**_

She doesn't recall what she sent him, having had no idea what he was doing at the time. But that look, it really said it all. He was happy too, thankful to finally get through to her. Grateful as much as she was.

Waiting for the next video, she drifted a hand over her phone again. She fondly remembered all those late night text messages, sending funny videos to one another or using the best filters they could find, trying to make each other laugh. Oh, how she missed it.

But her warm feeling vanished when reading the next file. Now she was sure she wasn't involved in this one. The date didn't match up to anything she knew.

 _ **The Bot Fighter:**_

 _ **When this recording began, it was silent and dim. Hiro sat at his desk, the light of his montoir making his face glow. One hand held his head, the other fiddling around with a little bot, Mega-Bot, wearing his yellow happy face. The boy's eyes moved, looking over the bot in deep thought, twirling it around like a doll. His mood was unreadable.**_

 _ **Without changing position, or even looking at the screen, he spoke. "You know, I've never felt attraction before. I never had a crush on anyone, even when I was little. It just never came to mind. I put so much focus on work and crafting, pushing away interactions from people, and I never cared. I never thought about the future when it came to a partner, or even starting a family."**_

Tilting her head in utter confusion, she felt awkward to be hearing about his view on romance. He never seemed like the type, even when she teased, calming he had a crush on her as a joke.

But why would he talk about it suddenly? And why so dim about it? Something didn't feel right, so she prepared herself for what would come next.

 _ **He closed his eyes, shame and sorrow on his face. "Then why did she suddenly make me feel...like that?" He opened his eyes, placing down his creation. "She hit all the right marks. Funny, carefree, smart, and somewhat understood me." He gazed down, a disappointed look in his eyes. "But in all the wrong ways." He sighed. "How did I not see it sooner? I never had those kinds of feelings toward someone, yet she just knew how to pull me along."**_

 _ **He straightened in his seat, still refusing to look at the camera. "I always criticised people in manipulating relationships. I thought it was obvious why it was bad, questioning why they just didn't leave. Now I understand why." He rested his head on his arms. "These kinds of people have a way to mess with you, to the point where you don't notice it, not until enough people point it out for you."**_

Shaking her head and leaning in a little, she could feel his pain and confusion through the video. She had no idea he liked someone, someone who hurt him, manipulated him. As a first romance, that would hurt.

She didn't know who did it, but she hoped to maybe meet them one day. They deserved a good yelling at and perhaps even a slap too.

 ** _His hands tightened into fists, finally looking at the camera. "And God does it hurt. You know it's wrong, but even when you deal with it and leave, it still lingers. It pulls you apart, forcing you to remember the good, trying to blind you from reality. It wasn't perfect, it never would have been." He paused, letting silence washed over him._**

 ** _"No relationship is perfect. A torturous lesson I keep having to relearn." He swallowed, the words hard to admit. "Tadashi, Aunt Cass, Baymax, Honey Lemon, Wasabi, Gogo, Fred, Callaghan, Krei, Granville, Karmi and now...Trina." He grumbled, slightly upset. "I already know I'm bad at it, so why does it have to keep reminding me."_**

She jumped lightly when he snapped. The hurt in his aggression, she had never seen it before. Something so personal really got to him. But she didn't blame him, what happened sounded awful. He didn't need this, he shouldn't have gone through it.

She wished she had been there to cheer him up. Tell him how wonderful he was, how this person wasn't worthy of him. But she wasn't and time had gone by, making her wonder how he feels about this now. It was clear relationships were a tough topic.

 _ **Slowly, he pulled a hand up, opening it and staring at his palm. "But now...now that I've felt it, I'd like to feel it again, with someone else." A doleful look in his eyes. "But that'll be hard. I don't know how many people would like to be in a relationship with me. I'm barely good at friendships. And knowing me, I'll need time, but would they wait?"**_

She didn't notice the light blush on her face, placing a hand on her chest. He was brave to want to step out again. Many would have refused any thoughts about a relationship after all that.

She wanted to tell him he did matter, that someone will love him and wait for him. He was smart, funny, understanding, wise in many ways and was amazing once you got to know him, anyone would be lucky to have him.

 _ **Biting his cheek, he lowered his hand. "I shouldn't even be thinking about that kind of stuff. I'm young and need to focus on other things. School, family, friends, this city and my own work. Love can wait…"**_

 _ **Closing his eyes again, he laid his head on his hands, rubbing his hair lightly. He stayed like that for a while. When he moved again, he reached out and shut off the recording.**_

Her hands fell to her lap, her body feeling strange after watching that. She didn't know what it felt like, but it was a lot to processes. Something significant about him to learn about.

Maybe one day she can help him with these feelings. She wasn't amazing at it, but she understood how natural it felt, unlike him. But for now, she would support him in other ways, wait till he's ready.

But as she thought about the video, she realised what was coming next would be worse. The sound of crying and her voice of reassurance in the back of her head warned her, reminding her of how he had been. Gripping the armrest, she stared at the screen.

 _ **Obake Yashiki:**_

 _ **The scene in the video was worse than the last recording. The room even dimmer, the only light source coming off of the monitors. The silence kept getting broken by Hiro's shaky breathing. The poor boy curled up on his chair, arms around his legs and head resting on his knees. Eyes unfocused, a look of fear, guilt and sorrow staining his face. He looked like he was about to cry.**_

 _ **He took a deep breath, eyes shaking. "Why...just..why!? I don't understand any of this." He nearly shouted, pleading at the camera. "What does that man gain from all of this, making me seeing the face that haunts me." He grit his teeth, hands balled into fists.**_

 _ **"And I fell for it, if only for a minute. I should have known, I should have seen it wasn't real, there was no way it could be real. He's dead, I know it, I saw it all!" He stopped himself, holding back his anger. "T-then why did I fall for it?..."**_

It was heartbreaking. Her face in utter dismay and sadness. It was wrong, he was meant to be cheery, a jokester, maybe even a little annoying at times, not this.

This broken version of him was so painful to watch. She wanted to hug him again, holding him as she kept telling him it was ok. Remembering how exhausted he had been after crying himself out. She had to get Baymax from the lab, who proceeded to take care of the boy and wait for his aunt to pick them up. But after a few days, he seemed to brighten up a little, yet still worried over something.

 _ **Quickly rubbing his eyes, he slumped in his chair. "I already know why…" Rolling his head along his shoulders, he stared at something off-screen. Reaching over, he showed Tadashi's hat on in the recording, staring at it with dead eyes. "Because I wanted it to be true...I wanted it to be him, so I let myself believe it." He brought the hat close to himself. "And it felt so real when I believed." Pursing his lips, his eyes narrowed, tossing the cap onto the desk. "But now it only reminded me of how guilty, hollow and weak I feel. Reminding me how I couldn't stop him, how he died for nothing." His eyes watered, but he rushed to wipe his eyes. He wasn't ready to cry.**_

 _ **He swallowed to calm his voice, clearing his throat. "All I wanted was a moment to apologise for everything. To say sorry for being a shit brother, for getting into trouble and refusing to listen." His shoulders slumped, eyelids weak. "One last hug, one last talk, one last goof moment, one last fist bump, o-one last brotherly moment." His head fell into his hands, his breathing hitching. "I-I just miss him...s-so much."**_

 _ **He still refused to let go of the tears, body shaking lightly. "What was the point...what did Obake want from me?..." He looked up at the camera, expression broken. "Was my fear just obvious...o-or was there more to it?..."**_

As the puzzle clicked together, Karmi suddenly felt sick. Now she understood why he felt so broken. This Obake had used Hiro's own dead brother to mess with him. It was disgusting and inhuman. She bared her teeth lightly, feeling light tears in her eyes. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like.

 _ **Losing his strength, he curled up again. "I-I don't know h-how much longer I can t-take this…" His face buried into his knees, finally letting the water loose.**_

 _ **He shook, whimpering and sobbing, ignoring the recording. But as he cried to himself, his breathing was becoming dangerously rapid and unstable, like he was struggling to breathe. He lifted his head, shock and fright in his eyes. He knew what was happening.**_

Her eyes widened. She too knew what was happening. All the time she suffered from it, she recognized the signs. But she never knew how rough his ones were.

 _ **Choking out his words, he called out. "B-Baymax!"**_

 _ **On cue, a beep could be heard, the health caring bot inflating in the background. As quickly as his balloon legs could carry him, Baymax was by Hiro's side and pulling the young boy into his embrace.**_

 _ **"Hiro, you are suffering from a panic attack. I need you to control your breathing." The health companion informed, rocking the crying child in his arms.**_

 _ **Hiro seemed like he could barely understand, only spitting out words. "I'm sorry, I-I'm sorry, I-I."**_

 _ **Baymax glanced around, his eyes locking onto the screen. This time he reached out, being the one to end the video for his friend, knowing full well he didn't want this recorded.**_

It took her a moment to realise the video was often, the sight of Hiro crying was looping in her head. It made her remember how young he was, how young they both were. He was just a child, mourning over his big brother.

She took a moment to wipe her eyes, slowly looking to Baymax, who had stopped to look at her. "I...I never knew he had panic attacks…"

The bot paused for a moment. "Hiro doesn't suffer from them often, only when something big or tragic has occurred.

Sniffling a little, she wiped her nose. "Thank you, for caring for him…" She whispered.

"It is what I was built to do." He stated, turning back to the screen.

It took him a while to get to the next video. Seemed Hiro took a break from vlogging after what happened. But when they reached the following video, it reminded her of one of the scariest moments of her life.

 _ **C** **ountdown to Catastrophe:**_

 _ **The video kicked off with an exhausted Hiro. Across his desk were blueprints, all for the same device. He appeared to be scanning over them before putting them away.**_

 _ **"It's over, for now at least…" His voice was weak, but he did seem relieved. "And we can begin to move on from all of this. Lord knows I want to forget what I've done." He paused at one of the blueprints. "And what I almost caused."**_

 _ **A light smile grew on his face. "But I'm so proud of the others. I expected them to hate me, yell at me even, but they didn't. They were worried for me, yet planned and got to work while I was missing. Then when I got back, we set out a plan, and they did so much. They were proud of the team, despite how scary everything was."**_

Finally, she was able to smile again. His fondness for his friends was so real. She too had been so proud of the team, what they risked for this city.

But she questioned what Hiro was on about before. He seemed guilty over something, but why? He saved the city and everyone in it.

 _ **He placed down the blueprint, folding it to be put away. "And almost all my questions were answered. All of it revolving around a broken and sick man." He stopped in his movement. "A man who wanted me to be his student. Wanting to build a new city together. It was..scary to see how he thought everything he was doing was good, so certain in his ways." He sighed, leaning against the desk. "And yet we were similar. No wonder Granville saw him in me, especially when I ended up helping him." He picked up another blueprint, glaring at him. "Creating this stupid energy amplifier, all because I wanted to prove Granville wrong."**_

 _ **Placing down the blueprint again, he groaned and brushed the hair out of his face. "What is wrong with me? I don't mean to hurt people, it just happens, even as a hero."**_

She felt worried, questioning if Hiro had somehow been part of the reason why the city was nearly blown up. It couldn't be, but all the evidence was pointing to it. He was even comparing himself to the bad guy.

But he seemed so ashamed over it, he clearly didn't mean to act the way he did. It was a part of him he couldn't control. It made her realise how much more there was to him, that a lot of his confidence hid something grimmer.

 _ **He fiddled with his fingers, looking nervous about himself. "I need to sort this out somehow. Before it's too late." The statement was grim, as if he knew something terrible would happen, something about himself.**_

 _ **"I'm just so glad we could save the city and its people. But Obake…" He glanced away, tapping his fingers as he thought about it. "I don't know...He's most likely dead from what Baymax showed us...But I just have this feeling, like he's still out there, waiting. I know he'll haunt me for a long time." He took a sharp breath. "I'm already seeing him in my dreams."**_

 _ **"But Granville is worried over him, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried too. That man needs help, help that he refused or didn't get." His voice became a whisper. "That's if he is alive…"**_

 _ **His eyes darted around as he thought to himself. Emotions unreadable and body barely moving. But he finally sighed again, clicking something and the video ended.**_

Shock was written all over her face. After seeing what that man did to him in the prior video, she was confused about how he felt bad for the man. He was clearly the bad guy and did horrendous things.

But he did say the man was sick, so there was more to this story than she knew. But it made her wonder if they were still looking for him, at least a body maybe.

She then thought about the event through his eyes. He had been right in the centre of it, yet still determined to save the city. This story sounded interesting, yet scary to learn about. Perhaps they'll tell her one day, she wished to learn more.

Again, there was a break in the timeline for Hiro's vlogs, Baymax starting up the next one. Karmi knew she was a part of this one, it had been her start with Sycorax.

 _ **Internabout:**_

 _ **When the video started, Hiro could be seen wearing a simple white shirt and clean black tie, leaning back into his chair and resting his feet on his desk.**_

 _ **"Welp, I'm officially Krei's intern, yippy." He waved his hands sarcastically. "All because I got jealous of Karmi again. I'm an idiot." He rolled his eyes. "Then again, this could do me some good, who knows what could happen. Maybe even some work experience, if Krei will give me something other than coffee runs."**_

 _ **Pulling his feet off the desk, he sat up straight. "But what happened showed me this hero gig isn't over. Noodle Burger Boy and Trina are still around, even got some upgrades. They're going to be a big issue. I don't even know how they feel after Obake..." He bit his tongue, seeming afraid to talk about him.**_

All the events before showed, but he also seemed to be moving on from it. Even after what Obake did, Hiro seemed ready to make changes and accept what happened. It was impressive. But he seemed used to it by now, given all that he's already been through.

 _ **"Then there's Sycorax…" He mused over it. "It's an interesting place, definitely not my kind of work though. Karmi's got her work cut out for her." He rested his elbows on the table. "But something feels off about that place. I don't know what. Liv just seems a little too...eager. And her assistant, Chris, he was even worse." He bit his lip. "Or it's just be acting out of jealousy again. I really need to work on that."**_

She shook her head, cursing at him. He was on to something, but he dismissed it too early. Perhaps if he kept on that thought, he could have prevented what happened to him.

 _ **"Then I don't know where Momakase has gone, ran off during the near Catastrophe. I know she'll come back though, she knows how to hold a grudge." He waved his hand. "At least Globby changed his ways. He's a good guy." He smiled lightly. "Would still be the hands of Obake if not for him." He pursed his lips, glancing around his desk for something. "I should really write down a list of the bad guys."**_

 _ **As he got up to look, he brushed a hand across his keyboard, cutting the video to an end before looking for some paper and pen.**_

The thought of a time machine was really getting to her. Wanting to get him back on that train of thought. All that could have been solved, events that would never be, it was too much of a wish.

At Least he didn't seem off his game, already preparing for what might come next and what still lurked around.

The next video was familiar as well. The day she had a big fright, nearly got attacked and yet made a cure for something so dangerous.

 ** _Prey Date:_**

 ** _The recording opened with Hiro, once again, sitting at his desk. He had the back of his fingers pressed against his lips, thinking deeply like usual. He looked somewhat frazzled, most like from prior events before the recording._**

 ** _Lifting his head up a little, he spoke. "I knew something was up with Sycorax. What happened, it couldn't have been a coincidence. Knox, Karmi finding the cure so quickly, the secret labs and Liv."_**

 ** _Placing his hands down, he looked to the screen. "I'm just glad Knox didn't eat me. He really was just scared. I can only imagine what those mutations did to his brain." He rested the back of his head against his chair. "At least Karmi could find a cure, unlike Liv's people."_**

 ** _He gave a harsh expression. "But I have a feeling she didn't want a cure." He grumbled a sigh. "She must have set Knox loose, I know it. The containment wouldn't just shut off like that. Right after Liv left with Fred? It's too planned out."_**

She only wished she had noticed as well. It all seemed so fishy, but she didn't let herself see it, only so eager to impress her boss and save the day.

She would admit she was smart, no doubt in that. But the fact that none of those people could find a cure, despite being older and done more schooling than her, it was wrong. At the time, she just seemed happy that she proved herself, thinking she was the best biotech around.

 _ **Raising a hand, he brushed his hair back. "What are they actually doing at Sycorax? It can't be as it seems, not with this gut feeling of mine." His confidence fell. "Or am I just paranoid after what happened to Obake?"**_

 _ **He looked off-screen, eyes narrowed as he seemed frustrated. "I need time to think about this, to see what happens. I can't make an accusation with little evidence."**_

She mouthed the word no, over and over again. Again, his doubt hindered him. He was right all along. Sad that only now did she listen.

 _ **"I just hope no one else suffers through this." He looked at the screen sadly, clearly knowing better. But without saying anything more, he stopped the recording.**_

Closing her eyes, she had let out a deep breath, not realising she had been holding it in for so long. But remembering these events were tough to think about. She was annoyed at herself for not listening, concerned with how Hiro had been beating himself over it.

Looking back at the screen, she felt her heart sink. Only two recordings left, both times she remembered what happened. But she didn't move, knowing she had to watch them.

 _ **Something Fluffy:**_

 _ **When the recording started, the boy looked even more frustrated than before, rubbing both his hands through his hair as he breathed harshly through his nose.**_

 _ **"How can we be the only ones to see it? It was all caused by Sycorax. All of it! Liv is clearly behind everything, did no one notice how she dodged my questions, that look she gave me. Then out of nowhere, suddenly had a curse for the mayois." He slapped his hands onto his desk. "I mean, are we actually supposed to believe** **Mr Sparkles** **managed to do something like this? He's a crazy game show host, not some biological scientist."**_

 _ **He groaned in annoyance. "It's all flawed, but only we can see it." He shook his head, letting out a heavy breath. "We really are the only ones not wrapped around her finger. Which makes things harder. We attack her or make any kind of move, the public is going to hate us, making matters worse. Seems the police aren't happy with us either, so we all know how that would end."**_

Again, more good points. Something she should have noticed earlier, given how much of a Big Hero 6 fan she was, she should have known Mr Sparkles was the least likely to start something like this.

It made her mad at herself, thinking about how grand she felt when saving the city with Diane and Chris. It was false, all a ruse to keep herself in the clear.

 _ **He eased up on his stress, relaxing in his chair. "But out of anyone, I want to convince Karmi. She's in Liv's palm, and I know this woman will use her. Hell, she wanted her dead with me when she sent Knox on us. Karmi's in the firing line, and I am not willing to risk that. I don't want her to be apart of this."**_

His change in tone made her look back at the screen. Again, he was worried for her, even though she shouldn't be the focus. The more she listened, the more she could see how much he actually cared for her.

 _ **A soft sorrowful look came to him. "But she won't listen, not with proper evidence. And it would have to be pretty big evidence. She adores Liv, who can blame her?" He leaned against his chair. "Liv gives her the attention she wants, pulling her around by giving praise."**_

 _ **His eyes lowered. "I've already felt betrayal from an idol, and it's hard to get through." Looking back up, his gaze locked onto the camera. "You can hardly believe what you see, deeply wishing it wasn't true and don't know how to react. Then next thing you know, you could be screaming at them to go die in a fire, or in tears, asking why they would do this." He bit his bottom lip. "Or something darker…"**_

Callaghan came to mind. It was obvious who he was talking about, something he had tried to make her understand. He did know what betrayal was like, to learn that your idol might not be who they seem to be. To be careful, or else someone you looked up to could become your enemy.

Now she was stuck in that situation. She wasn't proud to be a part of it, but it was better than to still be working with that witch. Not after what she did.

 _ **He rubbed one hand with the other. "She doesn't deserve that, not after everything she's been through."**_

 _ **He looked at the screen again, a determined look across his eyes. "And I'll do what I can." And with that, he ended the recording.**_

Sitting in silence, Karmi placed her hands together. He wanted to save her, he didn't want her to experience what he had. He knew how horrible it was, what it could do to you. If only she had listened.

But now to the final recording, the moment she was dreading. It had been made only a few weeks ago, on the day that started this all.

 _ **False Face Must Hide:**_

 _ **When the last video played, it showed Hiro halfway through suiting up, wearing his ultra armour. Baymax was partly cut off, but could be seen in the background, already dressed up.**_

 _ **"We have to end this, so we're going to be direct about this." Hiro spoke to the camera, strapping on a glove. "She's avoided all of our questions and somehow got around the lie detector, but if we can find something in Sycorax, then we've got her."**_

 _ **The massive armoured Bot looked to his friend. "Are you still sure about this? It could end dangerously."**_

 _ **"Everything we do is dangerous, buddy." The boy replied, flexing his fingers in the glove. "We can't let people keep getting mutated, not after what it does to people. You saw how Knox and High Voltage became mindless animals. Or Momakase and 's heavy aggression or insanity. It's not right."**_

She could hear her own voice within her head, begging him not to go. Those memories, what she remembered, it slowly started to come back to her, despite how far she repressed them.

 _ **The bot paused, allowing a moment of silence before breaking it. "You are scared for Karmi." He stated.**_

 _ **Hiro stopped, his determined expression flickering, thinking over the question. "...Yes." He simply stated, not even trying to deny it.**_

 _ **"You still have proof with her chip. You could always try again." Baymax informed, wanting the least violent outcome.**_

 _ **"Do you know how much that would hurt her? To learn that her idol used her creation to hurt others? Because I do, and she doesn't deserve that." Hiro defended his choice, but even he sounded unsure, possibly from bad memories. "And as much as I want her out of danger, she isn't the only person to worry about. We waited too long for Obake, look what he almost did. We have to stop Liv before it gets worse."**_

Her eyes widened. Her extra-dermal nano-receptors were involved, and Di had used them. She couldn't bear to think about what the woman did with them, who she hurt.

Feeling her fingers twist around themselves, she took a steady breath to calm herself. Now wasn't the time to think about it.

 _ **"...I understand." Baymax nodded softly, still staring at the boy.**_

 _ **A look of guilt grew on the boy's face. He sided, pushing his chair aside. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap. I'm just so...tired after everything, worried about the city and everything that could happen. I've barely gotten a real break from all of this. Every time we're about to relax, another big bad shows up with disturbing plans." He picked up his helmet, staring at his reflection on it. "Plans only we can deal with…"**_

How tiring it all was, the number of times they had to rush out onto the streets, stopping the next insane mind that wished to cause problems. He was clearly done with it, especially with those who caused major damage.

She could imagine how much it ticks away at you, but the fact they were always so willing to keep going, putting themselves out there for others. It's why she loved the team, their hearts were displayed every time they showed up.

They didn't do it for the praise, they did it for the people, for their loved ones, for Tadashi. It made her feel a flicker of pride in herself.

 _ **The bot strolled over to his friend, reaching out and patting his back. Hiro looked up at him, blinking momentarily before a smile crept onto his face.**_

 _ **The boy's determination came back. "And we will." With courage in his voice, he gestured to the door.**_

 _ **Baymax walked off, Hiro watching him before flipping his helmet on, turning on the visor and slapped a hand across his keyboard. As the video ended, you could see him begin to dash out, joining his companion.**_

Staring at the paused ending, she didn't say anything. As Baymax removed his hand, she leaned forward, touching the screen. Swiping the recording, she went back to when Hiro was close to the screen. The look of determination, ready to save the day, to save her. She missed it.

Moving her hand, she brushed a hand along the image of his face. Her breathing was quiet, eyes leaking tears as she stared at the picture, a look of fondness mixed with guilt across her face. She wanted to apologize for things she said, tell him how amazing he was and to hold him again.

Pulling her hand back, she slowly wiped her eyes, looking at Baymax. He watched her, waiting for her to speak.

"Why?..." She simply asked once more.

Without moving, he spoke. "You would not listen to anyone else, so I thought you would listen to Hiro." He looked to the screen. "Learning more about someone can help you understand events better, perhaps to even recover from future events that you would both go through."

Leaning back into the chair, she looked back at the screen. "There's still so much I don't know about him…to think he went through all of that."

"Yet you are going through similar events." Baymax stated, catching her attention again. "Loss, depiction, guilt and confusion. You can learn from one another."

"And that's another reason you showed me this…" She uttered, connecting the dots.

He waddled up to her. "Hard times are always rough, but will heal over time if you allow it. But you must make the hard decisions to get better. No matter how scary they may seem."

She lowered her head. "Something I have been refusing myself."

Baymax tilted his head, raising his arms and pulling her over to him. Her eyes widened, and she looked up at him, squished against him. Slowly, he began rubbing her back, making her relax.

Feeling light tears run down her face again, she nuzzled against him. It had been a while since she had a hug, something she sorely needed. So she allowed it, along with the silent tears.

But as she rested against the bot, she looked back at the screen, staring at the image of her friend. She had something else to do.

* * *

"Are you sure you're ready?" Megan asked, concerned given what happened when she last saw her friend.

Karmi nodded sharply, taking strong strides as they walked down the halls, looking for the right hospital room. The closer they got, the heavier she felt. But she refused to let these invisible chains stop her.

She was thankful Megan came with her. Even though she wanted to do this, she didn't want to go alone at the start. And the little Cruz was happy enough to help.

The two girls stopped outside the room, Karmi taking a moment to read over the numbers.

 _'Room HH6'_

She took a heavy breath, somehow thinking deeply about these words. Turning her head back to the door, she could see someone through the small window.

Megan moved first, reaching out and opening the door for her friend. Karmi peered in, first spotting Aunt Cass, who appeared to be cleaning up the bedside table, which was cluttered with cards and gifts.

The woman took notice of them. She appeared tired, bags under her eyes and hair a little messy, but she managed to give a motherly smile.

"Hello." She said, gazing over the both of them.

Karmi slowly stepped in, followed by Meg. Karmi took notice how clean the room was, but realised her brain was trying to distract her from what she was here to see.

Megan looked at her, reaching out and taking Karmi's hand. The other girl blinked but didn't look at her, squeezing the comforting hand a little.

Cass gave a soft look at Karmi, understanding everything already. She was well aware that the girl hadn't come here yet. It was going to be tough to see and be around.

Megan looked to Cass with pleading eyes. "Do you think we can give her a moment alone?..."

The aunt nodded softly, already stepping towards them. "Of course…Maybe you can help me find something decent to drink about here?"

The girl in green gave a warm smile, watching the aunt head for the door. Turning her head, she gave Karmi one last look, slowly pulling her hand away and stepping away. The girl didn't seem to react, staring at the floor. But Megan stopped at the door briefly, making Karmi finally look at her. Megan gave her friend a Courageous smile, nodding towards the hospital bed before vanishing, closing the door behind her.

Swallowing, Karmi began to shuffle to the side of the bed, looking past the clutter on the bedside table. And the sight, as expected, made her freeze.

There he was, in a deep slumber, laying in the bed. Plenty of bandages, stitches and IVs around his body. It was mostly clean, apart from the little bloodstains on some of the bandages. He even had nasal cannula on his face.

Glancing at the montoirs, she saw his steady heartbeat, listening to the hopeful beeping. It all seemed ok, he was healing. She looked back at him. He was safe, he was alive.

He looked so peaceful, and after all that she watched, it was kind of relieving. He didn't look as bad as before, the damage from that night, hidden by the medical supplies.

Raising her hands, she pulled her backpack off her shoulders. Drawing back its zip, she opened it and reached into it. Shuffling around, she eventually pulled out Tadashi's cap.

She briefly looked over it, making sure it didn't get crushed in her bag, before gently placing it on the bedside table. The centrepiece to all the gifts. She knows he'll be happy to see it, and that's honestly all she wants, to see him smile again.

It was then that things started to let loose. Letting her bag fall to the ground, she looked over her fragile friends, listening to the heart montoir. Her lips began to quiver, failing to say anything. Gritting her teeth, she shook her head, allowing herself to think over everything, and she meant everything. Past memories in her head, that night on replay, now the sight of Hiro. It made her fall to her knees, placing her arms onto the bed as she looked at him. A rush of tears spilled down her face, feeling her breathing hitch, blinking profusely.

It hurt, it hurt so much, and she hated it. But she knew it would help, letting go of everything she was holding would remove a heavyweight crushing her. So she had no problem letting out a sob, head falling on the edge of the bed, rubbing against her arms.

"I-I...I miss you…" She choked out, as she sat there, letting it all out.


	18. Guilt From Thoughts

**Next Chapter up! I hope you enjoy this one, along with suffering the wait for any news on BH6 The series, cause of the hiatus.**

 **I've already got many plans for this story, along with sort of fixing it to canon. Though it's not all going to be the same, as I've said before.**

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 **Characters:**  
 **Hiro X Karmi**

 **Baymax**

 **Honey Lemon**

 **Fred**

 **Gogo**

 **Wasabi**

 **Aunt Cass**

 **Di Amara**

 **Granville**

 **Deborah (Karmi's mother)**

* * *

 **Warning: Some light swearing, mention of torture/bodily harm**  
 **Disclaimer: I don't own Big Hero 6, sadly!**

* * *

A coma was much different than what Hiro initially thought. He figured you'd be in darkness for a long time before finally coming back to your senses, but he was wrong. For one thing, everything felt a lot quicker, that he wasn't out for long, but he knew much time must have passed. Second, his body was vaguely away of his surrounds from time to time, maybe he'd hear muffled voices, or he felt an itch along his leg, even his sense of smell kicked in randomly, but he could never react. He was pretty sure he was occasionally dreaming, but he could never remember or focus on them.

So when he moved his fingers to a more comfortable position, it had taken him a moment to realise he started gaining feeling and control back. It wasn't fantastic for long, however, as now he began to feel the pain and medication through his body. It all ached and felt so sickening. His head was pounding to the sound of beeping, the entire right side of his body flaring up, but all he could manage was a small groan. He even felt his stomach swishing around, working with the medication they gave him.

But because of that, along with the sound of beeping and feeling the soft bed under him, he had a good bet he was in a hospital. At least he hoped, and not in Amara's lab or something. He knew the only way he could tell would be to open his eyes, a part of him that really just wanted to stay in the dark.

Shuffling his body a little, he tried forcing his eyelids up. At first, they fought back, claiming they were too weak, but really, they just needed a moment. Shakily, they began to rise, allowing a crack of white light to shine in his vision. Regretting it, he shut his eyes again, his face wincing a little. But it seemed to catch someone's attention.

Their voice sounded hazy and far away, but he was able to make out the words. "Hiro, my scans indicate you are waking up."

Feeling a swell of warm in his heart, the boy knew very well who it was, though his mush of a brain needed a moment. "..Ba...B-Baymax?..." He mumbled through weak lips, body not use to talking.

He sensed someone leaning over him, most likely the bot, given the sounds he made. He must have been doing something, but Hiro couldn't tell, eyes still closed.

"Are you able to open your eyes for me?" Baymax asked, patiently.

Hiro only replied with a quiet groan, shuffling his head onto its side, wincing again as he felt the bruises and cuts on his face. But he did give it another shot. Pulling his eyelids up again, they flickered, struggling to stay in place. But the more they moved, the more they got used to it. When they finally relaxed, they weren't open all the way, but it would do for now.

His vision also needed a second, sorting out the ray of lights and figures around the room. But as it all came together, he could tell the big blob of white was his health care companion. Despite the pain throughout his body and face, he cracked a weak smile.

"H-hey...b-buddy…" He breathed out, still getting used to talking.

The bot blinked, but reached over, and ever so gently, patted his patient's black nest of hair. For a moment, the boy forgot about the suffering of his body, just thankful to feel the touch of his friend. It also somewhat surprised him, Baymax was known to be gentle, but this was a whole nother level of tender.

"Mmh…" Hiro relaxed to the touch.

"Can you tell me how you are feeling?" Baymax titled his head, still stroking the boy's hair.

The boy paused, brain processing to think of the correct word. "Awful-l…"

"That is normal. Your body is still heavily damaged, along with some side effects of the medication you are on." Baymax explained, raising a finger in his other hand.

"S'ok…" Hiro slurred, eyes finally looking around his surroundings. "W-where are w-we?..." He swallowed.

"At Stella Hosptial. You have been here for about three weeks and a half." Baymax informed him.

Hiro's eyes managed to widen a little, breathing hitching a little. "Oh god…"

He knew he would have down for a while, but that didn't stop the guilt for being useless for so long. Who knows what he missed, what happened after he blacked out, but that quickly reminded him of the event.

"L-liv...Karmi." He stuttered, looking to his bot in weak panic. "T-the others, a-are they?..."

Baymax drifted a hand down to Hiro's face, stroking it and keeping the boy still. "Are ok. Your friends arrived to save you before bringing you here. Liv and them made a deal to hold off the fighting, for now. Karmi as been resting at home, sometimes coming to school."

Letting out a deep breath, Hiro stopped trying to struggle. "T-they're ok...they're o-ok…"

"They will explain everything better when you can focus better. But yes, they are all safe." Baymax reassured, doing his best to keep his friend calm.

And Hiro could work with that. As much as he was dying to know everything that had been going on, he knew very well his mind wasn't stable enough to comprehend it all. Not with how much it was focusing on every little bit of his body.

Baymax turned a little, grabbing something from a table. When he turned, he showed a clear glass of water. "Would you like something to drink."

Swallowing again, Hiro nodded. "Y-yes…"

With the bot's help, he gently tilted Hiro's head up, slowly letting him sip the water. It made Hiro realises how long his body wasn't used to drinking, having been provided liquids differently while he was out.

When he had enough, he stopped and looked at his friend. Baymax got the message and laid his head down, placing the glass of water back on the table. But as he did so, the door opened as someone entered, causing the two to look over.

Cass brushed her hair back, light bags under her eyes and wearing a warm smile. "I'm sorry I'm late Baymax, the cafe was just so bu-" She froze when she finally noticed her nephew's eyes open.

Hiro stared for a split second, but once he knew who it was, he gave a tiny smile. "A-Aunt Cass…"

Her eyes quickly began to water, hands covering her mouth in shock. She clearly wasn't expecting this today. But, without hesitation, she sped walked over, falling to her knees to be level with him.

"You're a-awake…" She wept with a motherly smile, reaching her hand over and brushing strands of hair off his face. "My baby boy...I-I was worried sick over you…"

"I'm s-sorry…" The boy whimpered quietly, feeling ashamed over how tired and stressed his aunt looked.

She shook her head gently. "No, no. No blaming, ok?" She wiped her eyes. "All that matters is you're safe…"

He didn't protest, not having the energy to argue back. Simply, he leaned against her soft touch, missing her maternal ways.

Watching him relaxing against her hand, she looked up to Baymax. "Can you call in a nurse? I think they should know he's awake."

"Of course." Baymax replied, eyes flashing as he contacted a nurse through his messaging program.

Satisfied, she looked back at her nephew. Despite how pale and battered up he looked, covered in medical equipment, his syrup brown eyes still held so much life in them, showing how happy he was just to be awake and seeing her. It was enough to start the waterworks in her eyes again, but she didn't care.

* * *

Karmi hadn't gone to school today. She had burned herself out last night, once again working on Di's virus. She was struggling to understand them or work with them, something so wild that made her nervous. But now she was just happy to sleep in.

Rolling in her bed, she pulled Mr Varicella Zoster closer to her body, snuggling with the plushie. She had found herself in the most comfortable position when her phone buzzed. At first, she was just going to ignore it, not wanting to risk moving from such a great spot. But her eyes cracked open when the phone buzzed again and again. It made her worried enough to pull her head up, thinking someone was in trouble.

Reaching out, she grabbed her phone and quickly opened up the messaging app. They were coming from both Honey Lemon and Megan.

'Dude, Cass called my dad. He's awake!' - M.

'Karmi, Hiro's ok! He's awake!' - HL.

The rest were the same, both frantically trying to get the message to her. But it only took the first two texts to get her up and moving. One mention of Hiro being awake was all she needed, rapidly changing out of her pyjamas, putting on fresh clothes and brushing out her hair. She didn't have to look good, just decent enough to leave the house.

Desperately trying to tie her hair, she jogged down the stairs. Her eyes darted around, and she was thankful to see her mother home. The older woman gave her daughter an odd look, standing and about to speak, but Karmi cut her off.

"He's awake! Can you please take me to the hospital?" She begged, finally putting her hair together.

Deborah's eyes widened, but without saying anything, she placed her phone away and dashed to the front, grabbing her keys. She looked to her daughter and told her to follow. The pair rushed out, hopping into the family car and taking off.

* * *

"And this one was from Megan and her dad." Honey Lemon spoke, showing Hiro the flowers.

The boy looked over them, head raised so he could look at his friends without having to sit up. She smiled at the sight of the gift. "My favourite…"

Honey smiled, carefully putting the flower back in their vase of water. The gang had arrived first, Aunt Cass giving them space as she made some calls to others and get something for them all to eat.

Despite the fact they were skipping classes, none of them cared. The school would probably allow it this one time, but they were more concerned for their youngest friend. All circled around the bed and talking to him, deciding to show off all the gifts and cards people got him, while Baymax and Mini-Max watched from the corner.

"Along with theses!" Fred pulled over the bag of gummy bears, showing them off.

Hiro let out a hoarse chuckle. "O-of course...I'll have to snack on them l-later. The doctor said I'm on a s-strict diet for a while…"

"He is correct." Baymax piped in.

"Awww." Fred pouted, but he understood and put the sweets away.

"H-hey now...I liked your gift." Hiro motioned to the Baymax themed balloons.

Fred grinned, lightly tugging on one of the strings to make them bounce around. "I thought I'd go for a simple gift for when you woke up. Got a great deal on it too."

Gogo shook her head lightly, for once smiling at Fred's antics. "At least they unique."

Hiro's eyes gazed over all the items left for him. "G-guess a lot of people missed me…"

Wasabi grinned warmly. "Of course, you do bring a special touch to everyone's life."

"Like your witty jokes." Gogo added, smirking at the boy.

His gaze looked back at them. "T-thanks guys…" He smiling tiredly.

Honey in leaned from her chair, placing her hand on his and rubbed it gently. "We're just thankful you're ok...we were all so worried."

His smile fell, looking at her hand then at her. "I-I'm sorry...about what happened. I-I shouldn't h-have taken that risk…"

Honey shook her head, much like Aunt Cass. "You forget we all took that risk."

Gogo huffed, popping her bubble before chewing it back up. "Besides, it's really Di's fault."

Hiro glanced away. They had already explained the twin situation to him. He was surprised, but he knew before them, Baymax giving away their relation when they found the real Liv Amara. But he was still amazed that no one knew of this twin, Diane. But from what Granville revealed, it seemed like she wasn't as popular as Liv had been.

But that reminded Hiro of the deal she made with the team. When they explained it, he too didn't trust her word. For now, they would play by the rules, but everyone knew she'd be the one to break them first.

He looked back at the gang. "So, no monster attacks y-yet?..."

Wasabi shook his head, crossing his arms. "Sycorax had to fix some of their rooms, mostly their entranceway. So maybe they've been busy."

Gogo frowned, clearly thinking otherwise. "Or waiting."

The other girl looked to her roommate, giving a look saying 'I know, but please don't say it right now'. Gogo took the hint and went back to chewing her gum. Fred just looked at the four with concern, wanting to change the subject.

Leaning in, he gained the young boy's attention. "You won't believe what you've missed from school, and I'm talking about the homework." He clicked his fingers. "I mean, I got slapped by Baymax."

The bot blinked, speaking up from the back. "I was still malfunctioning."

Hiro snorted, giving Fred a look. "T-that's the worst you've g-gotten? H-he nearly broke my hand once…"

"Oooo, testing out a handshake for something?" Fred inquired, giving a fake look of sympathy.

Hiro opened his mouth, but it was cut off by the sound of the door opening. At first, they all expected it to be Aunt Cass, back with food. But a dark-skinned figure entered, arms crossed behind her back and heels clicking on the cold hospital floors.

Hiro blinked his eyes faintly, briefly thinking his mind was tricking him again. "P-Professor Granville?..." He questioned.

The older woman nodded, sharps eyes looking over her students. Each one was shocked, having expected her to come visit days later, and not during school hours. But it seems even she couldn't resist the urge to check up on the young genius.

Hiro looked at his friends in confusion. Gogo raised a brow, looking to her brightly coloured roommate.

Honey shrugged, whispering to her friend. "I didn't contact her…"

Despite the low voices, Granville clearly heard them in such a small room. "The school notified me when you four left your classes in a rush."

Wasabi gave a sheepish look, already standing. "I'm sorry, Professor. I know we should have sighed out and all but we were just so worried and-"

Quickly, Granville snapped a hand up and stopped him. "I am aware and understand. I have already cleared it up with the school."

Honey Lemon let out a sigh of relief, looking to the dean with a thankful expression. "Thank you…"

Hiro noticed the older woman's eyes keep glancing at him. He couldn't help but feel a little scared. The group said Granville had been quiet during the entire time he was unconscious, not knowing what she was thinking or feeling, so he didn't know how to react besides looking away from her.

Granville bit her tongue at the boy's reaction, easing up on her strict poster and turned to his friends. "But, would be alright if you gave Mr Hamada and me a moment to speak in private?"

Their eyes widened, all glancing at each other in a silent conversation. They could say no, and she would have to respect their wishes, this wasn't school after all. But it wouldn't be fair, they knew Granville well enough to know she wasn't mad with Hiro, but whatever she wanted to say clearly wasn't meant for them to hear.

But it wasn't their choice, so they turned their attention to the boy in the bed. Hiro looked back at them, nervous but understanding. When he was done thinking it over, he gave them a light nod.

Wasabi turned back to their teacher. "Ah, sure…"

"Thank you." Granville expressed her gratitude, hands calmly resting by her side.

One by one, they grabbed their bags, shuffling around one another to exit the room. Fred needed an extra moment to grab Mini-max from the bigger bot, Baymax staying with his patient. But each of them looked back at Granville and Hiro as they left. As the door closed, they saw Hiro rolling his head over to look at the woman, the dean turning her whole body to face the boy.

Their voices were muffled by the door, beginning their conversation as the gang wandered down the halls. At first, they didn't know what to do, but came to an agreement, wait for Cass in the lobby. Better to explain to the aunt what was happening than her walking in on something private.

* * *

They each took a seat to lounge around in. Honey scrolled through her phone, Gogo grabbing random magazines on display to skip through them, Fred and Mini-Max played paper, scissors rock, while Wasabi was happy enough to admire the clean white room, eyes settling on the fish tank to watch.

And it stayed like that for a good half hour. Some other guests entering or leaving the hospital. Honey even got a text from Aunt Cass saying she would be a little late. But their quiet setting changed a little when a familiar figure dashed in.

Karmi panted lightly, coming to a stop in the centre of the room, her mother close behind. The gang looked up in surprise, but remembered they informed her about the current status of Hiro.

As Deborah talked to the receptionist, Karmi stared to Hiro's friends, blinking at the sight of them. But she slid over to them, speaking a little frantic.

"Is he really awake? I-Is he ok?" She begged, somewhat frazzled.

Honey looked the girl up and down. "Yes, it's ok, Karmi. Awake and talking, just tired and sore…"

Karmi took a moment to look over the crew. "Why aren't you with him?..."

Gogo sat up from her reading position. "Granville wanted to talk to him, privately." She explained, placing the magazines away.

That halted Karmi in her panic, giving a puzzled look. "Really?"

They all nodded, but Fred spoke up. "We're just as surprised as you are. But I'm sure it's fine, maybe they just wanted to explain some things."

"And his Aunt went to grab somethings." Wasabi explained, taking a moment to look at the clock on the wall.

Taking a sharp breath, Karmi took this second to calm herself, having panicked the entire way to the hospital. "Ok, ok…"

Deborah stepped over to the group, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "They say you can visit him. I can wait here while you see him."

Karmi tilted her head up, a soft gaze in her eyes. "Ok…"

Honey looked between them, rising to her feet. "We can take her. A big hopstial, ya know?" The girl chuckled lightly but sincerely.

The mother looked to the group, a pleased smile on her face. "Thank you…"

Giving her mother a light hug, Karmi joined the others on their journey back to Hiro's room. They figured that the boy and Graville would be done talking, or close to it.

* * *

Karmi stuck close to the group, that sick feeling growing inside of her again. She didn't realise how hard this felt, seeing Hiro unconscious was one thing, but when awake and talking, she didn't how to react, nor how he would react. She only hoped he wasn't mad or upset with her, she already was with herself.

Unable to stop herself, the young girl looked up at the group. "How is he feeling."

Wasabi looked down, craning his neck. "Awful, as he stated. His entire right side of his body feels horrible, while the medication is making him feel sick. But it was to be expected."

"His wise-cracking attitude is still there, if you were worried about that." Gogo clicked her tongue.

Karmi gave the older girl a look, but deep down, she was relieved. Hearing the boy was still acting like himself, it calmed some nerves. After all those videos Baymax had her watch, she knew very well how the boy's emotions could twist in stressful situations.

Fred came to Karmi's side, catching her attention. "He was delighted to see Tadashi's cap." He gave the girl a kind look, knowing full well it was her who brought it in.

Feeling her cheeks warming up from the attention, she gave a shy smile, looking a the ground. "I'm glad it made his day…"

All young adults look at her fondly. It was a sweet gesture, having been so happy to learn the girl finally had the courage to see her friend, after all that happened.

But their peace broke when Mini-max, standing on Fred's shoulder, jumped off. Flipping, he landed in a superhero pose in their way, pointing a finger.

"Halt!" He called out, eyes locked onto someone.

Shocked, the gang stopped in their walk. Following his line of sight, they all saw the figure standing outside Hiro's room, peering in through the door's window. Their eyes widened in horror and surprise, some of them even gasping. But anger quickly grew in all of them as the woman turned to them.

Di smiled at them all, locking her fingers together. "Wonderful to see you all again."

Their eyes glared at her, some baring their teeth or huffing, Gogo even growling under her breath. Karmi also held a look of sheer anger, but that sick feeling grew more significant at the sight of her old boss. She didn't let it show, but didn't dare say anything.

Gogo hissed quietly. "What are you doing here?..."

Di's body relaxed in a causal manner. "Come now, I just wanted to check on Hiro. When I learnt he was awake, I just had to see him." Her eyes moved, staring right at Karmi.

Honey raised an arm, placing it from of Karmi. "How did you find out?..."

"I have my ways." Di mused, folding her arms behind her back. "But how nice that he's doing so well. Vitals getting better."

They each gave a slightly horrified look, rage shining in their eyes. They were frustrated that they just could snap and attack this woman, but they couldn't, not in public, nor with Hiro right in that room. But they couldn't understand how Di already knew this much, it scared them.

Karmi suddenly spoke up, leaning against Honey's arm. "It doesn't concern you." Her voice laced with venom, ready to bite.

Di gave a false hurt expression, placing a hand on her chest. "Now Karmi, don't be like that. As we say at Sycorax, 'We care about everyone's future'." The woman teased.

Karmi felt herself mouthing the sentence out of habit. Biting her cheek, she stopped herself. "But you said you'd-"

"This is different. I'm not hurting anyone." Di smiled, a deceiving look in her eyes. "Or would you rather that…" The woman whispered, a hand pulling her phone out of her pocket partially.

Karmi froze, eyes locked onto that dreaded phone. She straightened, swallowing a little and looked back at the woman. Seeing she got the message, Di put the phone away, stepping a little closer to the group.

They didn't move, just keeping their eyes on her. Mini-max even raised his arms, but one shake of the head from Fred made the bot relax. They weren't risking anything today.

Protectively, Honey slid her whole body in front of Karmi, feeling the younger student grabbing her hand for comfort. Yet the poor girl still put on a brave face. Di only seemed amused by the sight.

"But I'm hoping you're enjoying the peace and quiet, finally getting to relax and study. While I've been working on...other things." Di twirled a finger, rolling her tongue around.

"Back off...bitch." Gogo gritted through her teeth.

"Such language. But that should be expected from you, Gogo." Di smiled, entertained by their anger.

Surprisingly, Fred came to her defence. "Leave her alone…"

Di raised a brow before huffing a chuckle. "Well, that's different. Strange how you never act so brave or serious out in those suits of yours."

Fred tried not to show it, but there was a light shine of hurt and shame in his eyes. Di noticed this, a grin creeping onto her face.

"If only you acted like that during the fight. Or Gogo keeping her attitude in check." Her eyes wandered over to the other two friends. "Oh and if only Wasabi didn't panic during the attack, or how Honey felt bad when fighting those cute little Mayois."

Even the other three couldn't hide the glint of guilt in their eyes. The memory of that night, swirling in the back of their head. They couldn't say anything, out of shame or didn't want to give her another reason to talk.

Tilting her head up high, Di gazed at them, pleased by the silence. "An eventful night, one that could have been prevented, if only someone listened."

Although Karmi hid behind Honey, she felt a twinge of pain in her heart. She knew very well that comment was directed towards her. That guilty voice speaking up again from the back of her mind, still blaming her. All something Di knew all too well.

Brushing her hair back, Di pursed her lips. "Maybe then he wouldn't be here…"

All their eyes snapped at her, anger flaring up again. They all seemed ready to react, maybe even try to attack. But another voice joined in, stopping the group from doing anything stupid.

"That is quite enough." Granville snipped, closing the door behind her.

Di's eyes widened briefly, but she quickly put on a knowing smile. "Grace." She hummed, turning to the teacher.

"It's Granville to you." The dean huffed, straightening her body and placing her hands behind her back.

Di raised a brow, relaxing in her stance. Despite her confidence, she knew Granville would be a hard case to mess with. "I was just giving my thoughts on the situation. No damage there."

Granville clearly didn't care, nor buy it. "I won't have you harassing my students, if you have something to say, then talk to me."

The group looked shocked, even amazed. The protective tone in Granville's voice was new to them, but welcomed. They didn't want to deal with this, not right now.

Di paused, thinking over the words. Tapping her fingers along her crossed arms, she nodded. "Alright." She gestured down the hall. "Perhaps we should talk somewhere more privately."

Without changing her sharp expression, Granville started to walk forward. Di joined her side, giving one last look at the broken group before following the teacher. Said group's eyes never stopped looking at Di and Granville.

The gang, minus Karmi, all looked at each other. Worried and a little hurt. They knew Granville could handle it, but they were still concerned for their teacher's safety. They couldn't live with themselves if Granville also got hurt.

Honey stepped to the side, looking over Karmi. "Go see Hiro…"

Karmi's eyes widened, looking at the older girl with a troubled gaze. "What about Granville and you guys?" She looked down. "I don't trust Di around her…"

Gogo looked down at the girl. "We'll handle that...not you."

Karmi looked to her, worried and unsure. But Fred placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a comforting look.

"Besides, he's been waiting for you…" The kaiju hero spoke, tone soft.

That, she couldn't say no too. Along with this sick feeling, she knew it would intensify around Di, and keep lingering the more she waited to see Hiro. So she nodded stiffly, not able to remove her concern from the situation.

They watched her walk over to the room, waiting until she opened the door before tailing after the two older women. Karmi watched them, fear twisting her gut. But she pulled her focus away onto something else painful to think about.

* * *

Peering into the room, it looked the same as all the other times she visited it. Clean, white and creamy yellow. Some items defiantly shuffled around, along with what appeared to be Baymax balloons tied to the bed rest, hovering in the air.

As she followed the balloons strings down, her eyes locked onto Baymax. The bot standing on the other side of the bed, staring at her. She stared back, not sure what to say. So she moved her gaze to the bed, brown eyes meeting brown eyes.

Hiro laid there, having watched her in silence the entire time she entered the room. He was waiting for her to speak, for he didn't even know where to begin.

And he was right to do so, as she quickly spoke first. "I'm sorry…"

He didn't react, but he knew this would have been the first words she'd say to him. Sighing, he shuffled up a bit, levelling his head to get a better view of her. He knew how emotional this talk was going to be.

"Y-you shouldn't be…" Hiro stated. But he didn't let her speak, looking to his friend. "Baymax, c-can you give us a minute." He paused. "I am satisfied with my care."

Saying the magic words, Baymax nodded and waddled over to his charging port. The two teens watched him, deflating and folding away in his pod. They waited until they were sure he was offline, not wanting to make things awkward.

Once again, he didn't let Karmi speak. "A-and don't go saying y-you should...n-none of this was your fault…"

Shaking her head in disbelief, Karmi took a chair to sit in. "How can you say that? I didn't listen to you and got caught by Di…"

Sighing, he lazily rolled his head to look at her. "You didn't know...a-and I get it. I h-had no evidence…"

Frowning, she pulled out her extra-dermal nano-receptor from her pocket. "You did, but didn't want to tell me…"

He squinted his eyes before they widened a little. "H-how?..."

Her gaze became soft, looking away in shame and embarrassment. "I-I shouldn't have but...but Baymax had me watch some of your vlogs. S-said they'd help me." Her eyes snapped up, wanting to defend her actions in case he was angry with her. "A-and they did! I haven't told anyone, I swear-"

"It's ok…" Hiro uttered, somehow loud enough to catch her attention.

"What?" She blinked, thinking she misheard him.

"It's ok…" He gave a tiny smile. "I'm h-happy they helped you…" He laughed weakly. "G-glad to hear my 'annoying voice' c-comforted you…" He teased, despite his hospitalised state.

She simply stared at him, her emotions bouncing around at the sight of him somehow messing with her. But she felt her lips quiver into a smile.

Feeling her eyes water, she used the ends of her sleeves to wipe them. "You have no idea how much I missed your stupid smile…" She laughed shakily.

"E-everyone does…" He coughed lightly, causing his face to wince.

Her eyes widened, leaning in a little. "Are you ok?"

He took a sharp breath, his body refusing to move. "Y-ya, everything just hurts…"

Again, her smile vanished, and she looked away in guilt. "I should have done more…"

Looking back at her, he once again saw a part of himself in her, an element that he didn't like. "I-I said don't blame yourself…"

"How can I not? I'm the reason you're in this state!" She gestured to his broken body, hidden away by the blanket he rested under.

"B-because I blame myself…" He bit his lip. "I made t-those choices, I took those r-risks, I d-didn't try hard enough…"

That caught her off guard, but she wouldn't stand for it. "No, you did good. You did what no one else did." She glanced away. "To save the city and me…"

"...But it didn't g-go well…" He turned his head, now staring at the roof. "W-we needed more time, t-time to plan, time to p-prepare ourselves, t-time for caution...But I rushed it all."

Gazing over him, she felt her hands tighten. "For me…"

He didn't look back at her, but his expression stiffened. "B-because I care…something you s-shouldn't blame yourself over…"

She looked at him, still in disbelief that he wasn't angry with her, already taking all of the blame. Shaking her head, she uttered in confusion. "Why care about me?...Why?..."

His rolled his head to look at her, eyes narrowed a little. "...What d-did she say to you?"

Blinking, she gave him a puzzled look. "Huh?..."

"Di...I-I know she was out there...w-what did she say to you?" Hiro explained, giving her a mad but worried look.

Swallowing silently, she fiddled with her fingers. "...She made a comment...about me not listening." Her eyelids lowered, shame in her eyes. "And she's right…"

And the boy laid there in silence, looking over his a friend and thinking over her words. The guilt, voice so unsure and the distant look when talking about Di. It all worried him, for he knew what she would be thinking about.

"...Because w-we're friends." He suddenly spoke.

Flicking her gaze back in him, she looked at him, perplexed by his sudden defence. "What?..."

"Y-you asked why I cared...it's because we're f-friends…." He informed her, pulling back to the previous question. He then cut her off, speaking again. "And I-I already know what you'll say…'Hiro, w-why would you care about me?' Questioning w-why I would say that, thinking that y-you're a danger around me or I sh-shouldn't see you as a friend…" He took a deep breath. "B-but that d-doesn't stop me from caring…" He mused to himself, glancing away as he thought to himself. "I always t-think the same about my friends...e-everytime I fail them, cause a huge mistake and a-act like the worst friend ever...I often wonder why I d-deserve them…"

Her body went soft, briefly forgetting about her guilt. All that he said, she related to, she couldn't argue with it. But this wasn't right. "Don't say that...they're lucky to have you…"

His gaze turned back to her. "A-and I'm lucky to have you...because we're friends…"

Resting her hands together, she took a shaky breath. "Even after all that I did?... I could be...be such a jerk towards you and your friends. Snapping at you, even when you weren't annoying. I pushed you away so much. But yet...you never stopped." She uttered the last words, placing a hand on his bed.

"...Yes...it was h-hard." He admitted, looking back at the roof. "S-sometimes I thought about giving up on the idea of a f-friendship with you. But the more I learnt about you...I more I w-wanted to be your friend." He smiled fondly, giving her a warm look with his tired eyes. "S-so keen to help others, e-everytime your creative mind sparked, the funny expressions you pull when shocked, r-ready to stand by Big Hero 6's side, your adorable l-laughter and so on. All of it...I noticed over time."

Her cheeks blushed lightly over how genuine he spoke of her. It made her remember all the times she took notice of little things about him. How he idolises his brother, had wise words from experience and willing to never give up. Guess she hadn't been the only one taking notes.

His expression became understanding. "You just lacked trust...t-the people around you broke it. Yes, I could act frustrated about it, but I c-couldn't blame you. Especially when I saw how lonely you r-really were…" His eyes trailed down, seeing one of her hand resting on his bed. Biting his cheek, he managed to slide over the hand to his fractured arm over her hand.

It caught her attention, looking down when feeling him suddenly. His pale skin almost glowing against her olive-tanned colour. She could feel how cold he felt, unlike her normally warm body. How desperately she wanted to hold his hand in silence. But Di's words from that night, they spun in her head.

 _"I know you've gone through the same. How people will trip you, hurt you and make you feel like you're worth nothing, that you'll be nothing if you don't work, work, work. How people say there are others better than you."_

 _"You know that all too well, Karmi. Not only are you smart, but you get me, you've been me. I can help you be like me, I can show you true power…"_

 _"Why defend the boy who taunts you?"_

 _"Why do you care for him? Remember what he'd done to you?"_

It was too much, causing her hand to yank away out of panic. Unfortunately, Hiro wasn't prepared for that, hissing in pain from the sudden jolt along his arm. It made Karmi panic even more, mentally screaming at herself for hurting him.

Her breathing quickened, eyes brimming with tears as she covered her mouth, looking away. "O-oh God." She stuttered. "S-she was right, Hiro, right about me. I'm not a good person." Watery eyes looked to the boy. "I insulted you, yelled at you, embarrassed you and got you in that bed. If I had just listened, you wouldn't be laying here, you wouldn't have nearly died." Looking at her hands, the image of her covered in his blood flashed in her mind. " I-I can't…"

As she ranted, Hiro's face darkened, expression hiding way under his hair. He listened to her, yet didn't say anything.

Letting out a sob, Karmi gripped her face. "I worked for her, I built the extra-dermal nano-receptor she used, I praised her, I wanted to be her!" Her breathing hitched. "I am her!"

"No…" Hiro hissed, catching her off guard.

Freezing mid sob, she looked to him with concern, his tone scaring her. "H-Hiro?"

He bared his teeth, and, despite the pain, his hands gripped into fists. "No...You are nothing like her…" He growled lowly, a grim tone to his voice.

Pulling her head back, she stared at him in fright. "How?! How am I not like her!?"

Pushing his head up, he barked out at her. "Because you're not me!"

Regretting his actions, he squirmed a little from the pain. He'd been too stiff or quick with his movements, his body didn't like it. Gasping a little in pain, he clenched his teeth together and groaned, sometimes lightly whimpering.

Karmi came to his side quickly. "Hiro, Hiro! Shhh, ok, just relax…" He didn't respond, so she comforted him by actually taking his hand this time, rubbing it softly.

He was thankful for the comfort, letting his body settle before he could even begin to speak. Biting his tongue, he stopped himself from saying 'ow'. He didn't want Baymax to come back online, not right now.

As the pain began to settle, letting his body relax again. He swallowed and fixed his breathing, Karmi still comforting him and rubbing his hand gently. He hated all of this, but he had no choice but to go through these consequences.

Then Karmi spoke up. "...What did you mean, Hiro?"

Eyes widening a little, he thought back to his burst out seconds ago. He wished he had phrased it better. "N-nothing…" He grunted.

Frowning, she wasn't letting him off the hook that easily. "Hiro…"

Taking a deep breath, his eyes looked to hers. They glinted with worry and stubbornness, clearly showing she wasn't letting go of the topic, not after what he said. He didn't want to say it, but he had a feeling she knew what he was talking about. Especially if she had seen specific videos of him.

Swallowing, he found his words and pulled his hand away. "You...You don't have part of it...T-that trait that sparks the drive to d-do what the bad guys do. T-that part of them that pushes them to hurt others, steal and destroy everything around them f-for their one goal. It allows them t-to act without guilt, at least not until it's too late for s-some of them." Shaking his head, he stared at the roof. "Yes, y-you can act mean and avoid others, b-but you never once wanted to hurt them in such painful manners. A lot of w-what you do, you think of the consequences and how it affects others. And e-even after how the world treated you, you still want to g-give back to it and heal people. That's what you work towards, even with those." His eyes drifted to the bedside table.

Following his gaze, she saw her extra-dermal nano-receptor sitting there, the purple chip reflecting the room's lights.

Eyes locking back onto her, he continued. "I know Di u-used them, but that was her choice...Unlike w-what I made."

Taking this moment to speak, she gave Hiro a look. "What Callaghan did with your microbots wasn't what you made them for-"

He cut her off, huffing out his words. "I'm not talking about them…" Again, he looked away, mumbling loudly. "My energy amplifier…"

Those words caught her attention. He mentioned it in one of his videos, but she had yet to learn the entire story about them.

Closing his eyes, Hiro thought back to those days leading up to facing Obake. "It was my open house finals project. I g-got the idea from Krei." He opened his eyes, sorrow and disgrace towards himself. "Granville denied it, s-saying it was too dangerous. But there was clearly m-more too it. She sounded so hurt as we ar-argued." He took a quiet breath. "And yet I still made it…" He frowned to himself, ashamed. "I knew it would h-hurt her, along with possibly h-hurting others around me. But I didn't care at the time, I wanted to p-prove I was right, not to help someone." Surprisingly, his eyes began to water as he looked to Karmi. "And it almost did hurt others…"

"The near catastrophe…" Karmi uttered, eyes wide.

"Then I met O-Obake, face to face...It made me realises I had that trait." Biting his tongue, he blinked away the tears. "Twice now I've almost become like v-villain, and I know it'll happen again." His eyes looked at Baymax's pod. "I know I would have already, i-if not for all of you...Tadashi, Baymax, Honey, Gogo, Wasabi, Fred, Aunt Cass, Krei, Granville and you...It always pulls me back…"

"You think that?..." Karmi questioned, rejecting the idea that Hiro could become a villain, not after all she's seen.

"...I know you wouldn't a-agree, but it's a part of me that I've a-accepted, or, at least know I have to l-live with." Gazing around the room, thoughts of his friends flashed through his head. "I stopped pushing p-people away after that...knowing they're the k-key to keeping me sane."

His tone scared her. He was fearful of himself, knowing full well what he was capable off, what he's done and what he might end up doing. It would be a hard thing to acknowledge about yourself.

"So no...y-you're not like Di. For you don't have that trait…" Hiro ended, resting his head to stop looking around.

She opened her mouth to defend him, saying there was no way he could become the bad guy. But that wasn't the point, it was to show her that she didn't have the temper to be like Di. And trying to argue with him would derail it all, moving onto another problem that could be talked about later.

"...Thank you…" She whispered. Even with all she said before, she was still thankful to see that forgiving nature in her friend.

Hiro cracked a smile. "B-but if you did, could you please spare me?..."

Blinking, she let out a snorted with a chuckle. "Come on, you know you'd be at the top of that list…"

"Damn." He huffed a laugh, grateful he made her smile. It was another part of her that he noticed, but he didn't mention it to her. She didn't need to know that he liked her smile and what it made him feel.


	19. STORY UPDATE

**I figured I should explain myself since I've been getting quite a few questions about this story. I won't be updating anytime soon, I'm afraid. I've had a bit of a falling out with the show because of it's more recent episodes, lack of motivation and working on other fandoms. Fanfictions have always been more of a side hobby, while my art has always taken first place, and even then, other fanfictions that I'll be working on will be Gen Rex and Secret Saturdays, maybe some DC.**

 **I will probably come back to this because I do have future ideas for this, chapter plans and such, but right now is not the time. Real-life has been pushing me in some areas, so I would rather work on things I enjoy and have the energy for, than force myself to work on something that I don't currently have the passion for.**

 **The story is cancelled, it'll just be sometime before a new chapter. I do want to thank you all for the love, as this has been my longest story with the most reviews and I often come back to read some of them when I need cheering up.**

 **I'm sorry to those I've disappointed, but I just can't do this right now.**

 **Love from**

 **Crystalmoon101~**


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